FBI investigates mystery white powder sent to Democratic senators and election officials weeks before midterms

The FBI has launched an investigation after suspicious letters, some containing unidentified white powder, were sent to election officials and Democratic lawmakers across the United States just weeks before the crucial midterm elections.Federal authorities confirmed Thursday that they intercepted multiple suspicious mailings, including letters addressed to the offices of Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Sens. Alex Padilla of California and Chris Murphy of Connecticut.The alarming discoveries come less than three weeks before the November 3 elections, when control of Congress will be at stake and millions of Americans are expected to cast their ballots by mail.The FBI and US Postal Service's law enforcement arm said on Thursday they were investigating suspicious mailings, including some sent to state election officials (AP)The FBI said some of the letters contained an unknown substance, while the US Postal Inspection Service confirmed it was working to identify those responsible."This incident is a stark reminder of the very real dangers facing those who serve the public and who help administer our elections," Padilla said in a statement.The House of Representatives' sergeant at arms also warned congressional staff that public officials had received letters containing suspicious white powder, according to an email Reuters obtained.Authorities have not established whether the mailings are connected or identified the sender.Suspicious letters intercepted across multiple statesThe National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors said Wednesday that suspicious letters had been mailed to election offices across the country.Postal carrier Marc Jacques delivers the mail in a neighborhood in Miami (Getty)Some were intercepted before reaching their intended recipients, including letters destined for election offices in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Idaho.In Wisconsin, election officials confirmed Thursday that the state's Elections Commission had received a letter containing an unidentified powdery substance.Officials later determined the substance was not hazardous."Let this be very clear: this incident will not shake us," Wisconsin's chief election official, Meagan Wolfe, declared.Brendan Donahue, deputy chief inspector of the Postal Inspection Service, confirmed that investigators were examining the mailings and that some letters had been stopped before delivery.The threats come as President Donald Trump ramps up his war on mail-in-voting prior to the midterms (AFP/Getty)"We are committed to protecting our nation's election officials from threatening and dangerous mail," Donahue told reporters."Any threat or attack on an election official is unacceptable."A warning circulated to Senate staff indicated that some suspicious envelopes might carry postmarks inconsistent with their return addresses.The email included an image of an envelope bearing a New York City return address marked "DSA," although authorities have not publicly established whether that label has any connection to the sender's identity or an organization.Postal Service braces for millions of ballotsThe investigation comes as the Postal Service prepares for another election in which mail-in voting could play a significant role.Postmaster General David Steiner insisted Thursday that the agency was "absolutely ready" to process millions of ballots ahead of Election Day.Postmaster General David Steiner insisted Thursday that the agency was "absolutely ready" to process millions of ballots ahead of Election Day (AP)The Postal Service has announced what it describes as "extraordinary measures" for the 2026 midterms, including extended opening hours at selected locations, expedited ballot handling, additional deliveries and special collection arrangements.The preparations follow a legal setback for President Donald Trump's efforts to tighten restrictions on voting by mail.On September 14, the Supreme Court declined to allow the Postal Service to enforce a new rule affecting mail ballots.The measure followed a March executive order from Trump seeking tighter controls over postal voting.Under the blocked rule, states would have been required to provide the Postal Service with lists of voters receiving mail ballots and use approved envelopes carrying unique barcodes.The agency could then have refused to process ballots that failed to comply with those requirements or were linked to voters absent from the supplied lists.The Postal Service said it would not enforce the rule following the court's order.Election security concerns mount ahead of November voteMail voting remains a major feature of American elections.During the 2024 presidential contest, the Postal Service handled approximately 99.2 million ballots traveling to and from voters.During the 2024 presidential contest, the Postal Service handled approximately 99.2 million ballots traveling to and from voters (AFP/Getty)Around 30 percent of votes were cast by mail that year, compared with 46 percent during the pandemic-era election in 2020.Surveys have consistently found that Democratic voters are more likely than Republicans to vote by mail, making restrictions on the practice a particularly contentious political issue.Trump and his Republican allies are fighting to retain control of Congress in November, with the results expected to shape the remainder of his second term.The suspicious mailings have introduced another security concern for election administrators already preparing to oversee voting in a politically charged environment.Federal investigators have not disclosed the origin of the letters, whether they were intended to intimidate recipients or whether any of the unidentified substances posed a genuine health threat.For now, officials insist that neither the investigation nor the threatening nature of the mailings will disrupt election preparations.