Elections office in Tacoma evacuated after suspicious substance found in envelope
A Pierce County elections office in Tacoma was evacuated after an employee discovered a white substance in an envelope Wednesday morning, Nov. 8.
Police and Tacoma fire crews were dispatched at 8:45 a.m. in the 2500 Block of South 35th Street to investigate a possible hazardous substance. The employee did not have direct skin contact with the substance because they were wearing gloves, according to Tacoma Police Department detective and spokesman William Muse.
Washington State Patrol crime lab officers processed the substance and determined it was baking soda. There was a note inside the envelope that was consistent with the words, “stop the election.” The message was not directed at any political group, candidate or ethnic group, Muse said.
The general election was Nov. 7.
He said that no one was injured, but the office was shut down for about two to three hours. Police have not determined where the envelope came from.
Unknown substances were also found at the King County and Spokane County election offices. According to Renton Regional Fire Authority, a King County election office was evacuated.
According to KXYL TV in Spokane, emergency responders evacuated a Spokane County election office Wednesday morning, Nov. 8, after someone discovered a white powdery substance in an envelope.
This story was originally published November 8, 2023 at 1:16 PM.
