Northern California elections worker exposed to fentanyl while opening envelope, county says

A Yuba County elections worker was exposed Tuesday to fentanyl while opening an envelope, according to county officials.

The envelope did not appear “suspicious,” but a powdery substance inside the letter prompted the exposed staff member to take “precautionary measures.” The staff member didn’t touch the contents and was uninjured, according to a news release.

Yuba County officials in an updated statement Wednesday evening specified that the powder came in an envelope that was “addressed from a verified sender.”

A test by the Yuba County Sheriff’s Office showed the powdery substance was fentanyl, but county officials said more testing is needed by the state Department of Justice. Local authorities are investigating along with state and federal officials.

The U.S. Postal Service in an emailed statement Wednesday said the suspicious package was delivered by a private delivery company. “This package was not processed or delivered by the U.S. Postal Service or its employees,” a Postal Service spokesperson wrote.

The elections office reopened around noon Tuesday after “precautionary decontamination measures” were taken during a brief closure, county officials said.

“We are grateful that no one was harmed in this incident and we will continue to exercise caution as we perform the important work of conducting elections,” Yuba County Elections Clerk-Recorder Donna Hillegas said in a statement.

California Secretary of State Shirley Weber in a Wednesday statement commended Yuba County elections staff and law enforcement for their handling of the potentially dangerous situation. She added that she’s provided guidance to the other counties’ election offices to stay safe as similar incidents beleaguer elections workers across the nation.

“I trust that law enforcement authorities will identify and bring to justice any persons responsible for seeking to intimidate, threaten, or harm election workers,” Weber said in the statement.

In November, there a “suspicious mailing” was sent to the Sacramento County Voter Registration and Elections office but it was intercepted before it reached the office, according to The Sacramento Bee’s previous reporting. Weber in a statement at the time said officials had not confirmed any toxic substances.

Numerous elections office around the country also have received suspicious packages containing powdery substances, including fentanyl, Weber has said.

This story was originally published January 17, 2024 at 9:35 AM.