In an alarming development with the pivotal 2024 election season approaching, letters containing deadly fentanyl were anonymously mailed to election workers in five U.S. states.

The FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating the letters delivered to offices in California, Georgia, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. All appeared to contain fentanyl, and two had writings calling for officials to “end elections now.”

Some of the letters featured an Antifa symbol, a “pride” flag or a pentagram. 

This new threat led some election officials to reach out for assistance from the first responder community. In a sign of the times, many are stocking up on naloxone, which is used to counter the potentially deadly effects of a fentanyl overdose.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 50 times more powerful than heroin. Small doses, even accidental ones, can be fatal. 

Powder-filled envelopes — including some that appear to have been laced with fentanyl — were mailed to election offices in five states. They're a sign of what some officials say is a rise in threats to the safety of election workers as 2024 approaches. https://t.co/pgjnWihEXG

— The New York Times (@nytimes) November 22, 2023

The King County Election Office in Seattle received a fentanyl-laced letter in August. Eldon Miller is the head of the staff that opens truckloads of ballots and said that his people are in considerable danger.

Miller noted his workers are “usually in the direct fire just because we’re opening up thousands or millions of ballots depending on the election. I always say to my team, your safety is my utmost importance.” 

His office now has a supply of naloxone on hand.

Cherokee County is an Atlanta suburb and did not receive a drug-tainted letter. That did not stop Elections Director Anne Dover from reaching out this month to fire officials to obtain a supply of Narcan, the nasal spray version of naloxone. 

It is certain that, in the aftermath of 2020’s controversial presidential election, next year’s balloting will be the most closely observed in the nation’s history. 

Democrats and their allies will doubtlessly portray this scrutiny in a negative light. However, it is vitally important that the American people are assured that the election system is beyond reproach and not wielded as an instrument to hold onto power.

Tammy Patrick is the chief executive for programs for the National Association of Election officials. She acknowledged that the system will be under a microscope in 2024.

She agreed that the process “is going to be tested in every possible way, whether it’s voter registration, applications for ballots, poll workers, the mail, drop boxes [or] election results websites.”