Minnesota secretary of state office targeted amid probes into mailed election threats across US

Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon said Friday that a package containing a threatening letter and an unidentified white powder was intercepted before reaching his office, as federal investigations continue into similar packages mailed to election administrators and congressional offices across the U.S. amid midterm campaigning. 

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is currently testing the material sent to Simon’s office, the secretary of state said in a statement.

“Threats against election workers are unacceptable and should not be tolerated,” Simon’s statement said. “Our office will not be deterred and will continue to support the thousands of election officials across the state as they administer elections to their communities.”

Similar packages have prompted responses in other states, including Arizona, Wisconsin and Nebraska. Election offices in Louisiana and Oklahoma were evacuated after receiving suspicious mail containing powdery substances, while the U.S. Postal Service intercepted a similar package intended for Ohio’s secretary of state. 

The National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors issued a joint statement expressing concern over the incidents, saying that threats against election officials “have no place in our democracy.”

The investigations come less than three weeks before the Nov. 3 general election. Early, in-person voting started Friday in Minnesota.

Simon said earlier this month that his office will be operating with “a war room mentality” on Election Day, coordinating with election administrators in all 87 counties and local law enforcement to prepare for potential threats and to combat misinformation.

In recent months, Minnesota has faced heightened federal scrutiny regarding its elections. In August, the U.S. Department of Justice sent election monitors to polling sites in two Minnesota counties. President Donald Trump has also made claims, without evidence, of election fraud in the state, and federal prosecutors recently charged 10 people with illegally voting or registering to vote in Minnesota elections.