Maricopa County election HQ locked down briefly due to ‘suspicious activity’

The Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center went into a brief lockdown Wednesday afternoon due to “suspicious activity” that an election worker observed in a nearby building. 

The lockdown happened at approximately 12:30 p.m., leading to the building being put on lockdown for about half an hour, according to a statement released by the Maricopa County Elections Department. 

“As a precautionary measure, MCTEC was put on lockdown for a brief period of time while local law enforcement investigated the activity,” Elections Department spokeswoman Jennifer Liewer said in a statement. “Law enforcement determined there was no threat and MCTEC resumed regular operations at 1 pm.”

The lockdown comes on the heels of multiple election officials across the country, including in Arizona, receiving envelopes containing an unknown white powder. Similar envelopes were also sent to prominent Democratic elected officials. 

Threats against election officials have escalated in recent years, both nationally and locally, as unfounded accusations of voter fraud from Republican elected officials and far-right influencers have fueled extremists to threaten officials or commit crimes, such as burning drop boxes, to stop the imagined fraud. 

Arizona has seen a significant drain of qualified election workers due to the increased threats, as the state has been a focal point for false fraud claims. The Grand Canyon State saw the most losses of any western state on its election workforce in the past few years. 

MCTEC is also no stranger to this, as it was at the forefront of election conspiracy theorists’ furor after President Donald Trump’s loss in 2020. 

This is a developing story and will be updated as new information comes in.