State League of Women Voters condemn election office interferences

The president of the Seattle-based League of Women Voters of Washington called the substances sent to several election offices in Washington “an attack on democracy.”

Substances mailed to the King County, Pierce County, Skagit County and Spokane County elections buildings found Wednesday, Nov. 8 resulted in evacuations, according to a news release from the Washington Secretary of State. The offices included King County Elections headquarters in Renton.

“Sending suspicious substances to an elections office is an attack on democracy and could have put hard-working elections officials in danger,” said president Mary Coltrane in a Nov. 9 news release. “The League of Women Voters of Washington calls on candidates and political party leadership to issue statements condemning efforts to disrupt our elections. The League urges political party leadership to engage their constituencies in conversations that emphasize their sacred duty to protect our democracy by protecting our election workers and our ballots.

“Washington is a mail-in ballot state which provides voters with more accessibility to participate in elections. Voters need to trust that our elections will be secure and that those who seek to disrupt our democracy and risk the public health will face consequences. We stand in solidarity with all of the election workers continuing to count ballots from Election Day and we remain committed to making democracy work.”

The League of Women Voters of Washington is a nonpartisan political organization. The league acts in support of, or in opposition to, selected governmental issues that its members have studied. It does not support or oppose candidates or political parties.

A presumptive test of the substance mailed to King County Elections showed positive results for traces of fentanyl of an unknown percentage makeup. According to the Renton Police Department, the department will coordinate investigation efforts with the FBI.