Election offices in at least 32 states across the United States have been targeted with suspicious letters in the lead-up to the midterm elections, according to reporting by WIRED.
The findings follow a comprehensive outreach effort by the publication, which contacted election officials in all 50 states as well as Washington, D.C., to examine the full reach of an ongoing harassment campaign directed at voting administrators nationwide.
Nationwide Scale of the Threat
The inquiries revealed that the distribution of these mailings extends across a majority of the country. Administrators in more than two dozen states confirmed receipt of the suspicious correspondence, illustrating a coordinated attempt to disrupt and intimidate election authorities prior to the midterms.
State and local offices responsible for managing voting procedures have increasingly faced heightened scrutiny, threats, and harassment during recent election cycles. The delivery of suspicious packages and letters represents another strain on election personnel working to administer ballots and secure polling operations.
Response From Election Administrators
Election officials in the affected jurisdictions have monitored the deliveries as part of an effort to track the scope of harassment aimed at voting infrastructure. Communications between local authorities and nationwide investigators have focused on identifying the origins and intent behind the mailings.
With voting operations underway or approaching in jurisdictions throughout the country, the findings from all 50 states and the nation's capital underscore the ongoing pressures placed on election workers who manage federal, state, and local contests.
