ATLANTA — A letter was sent to the Fulton County elections office containing possible fentanyl, according to the secretary of state on Thursday. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger states it has not arrived in the county and that officials are trying to intercept it but is on the way.
"They're trying to intercept that before it gets here and we just don't know where that will be," he said . "We've prepared our people here that could receive that mail on the alert."
Raffensperger described the dangers of fentanyl.
"Some people like to call fentanyl a drug, but it's actually poison. It will kill you. It will kill you very quickly," Raffensperger said, adding lthat he lost his son to a fentanyl overdose years ago.
All Georgia counties were notified of the situation in case they were sent these types of letters, Raffensperger said.
"Our number one priority is secure elections and protecting the men and women who secure our elections," according to a release from his office.
The release stated that suspicious letters were sent to election offices in multiple states. According to a report from the Associated Press, four election offices in Washington state were evacuated due to suspicious envelopes containing fentanyl. The AP reported that the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA) put out an advisory stating there was no immediate indication that any other election office in Georgia had been a target for the letters.
As for the situation in Fulton County, the Secretary of State's Office released the following statement:
“We’re working with our state and federal partners to determine if any additional Georgia officials are being targeted. Domestic terrorists will not trample on our right to free and fair elections. Election officials should be free from fear and intimidation, which is why I’ve called on the General Assembly to increase penalties for election interference. We will work tirelessly to ensure that Georgia elections remain free, fair, and secure.”
According to a spokesperson with the Secretary of State's Office, law enforcement is currently working to intercept a letter that is believed to have "originated in the same way" as the letters received out in Washington.
The AP reported that the GEMA advisory stated: “Dealing with suspicious mail threats targeting election offices is a critical concern for maintaining the personal safety of election personnel and the integrity and security of the electoral process."