Suspicious packages were sent to elections officials across the country on Tuesday, including Maryland, officials said.
The U.S. Postal Service intercepted a suspicious package intended for the Maryland State Board of Elections office, according to Jared DeMarinis, the state’s elections administrator.
DeMarinis thanked federal officials on social media for their “prompt notification & assistance.”
“We will not be deterred from our mission,” he wrote.
DeMarinis didn’t immediately offer any further details about the package. He did not mention it as the state’s elections board held an online meeting Tuesday afternoon to discuss a court ruling on a Baltimore ballot question.
The Associated Press reported on Tuesday that there were more than 12 states where the FBI and the U.S. Postal Service were looking into suspicious packages sent to or received by elections officials. This was the second time in the past year that suspicious packages were mailed to elections officials in multiple states, the AP reported.
The suspicious packages are the latest concern for elections officials amid an intense election season highlighted by the presidential matchup between Vice President Kamala Harris, a Democrat, and former President Donald Trump, a Republican.
Four years ago, Trump made unfounded claims of election errors and a mob of his supporters overran the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021 as the results of the 2020 election — which Trump lost to President Joe Biden — were being certified. Last week Trump threatened to prosecute election officials and others who engage in “rampant cheating,” reiterating past baseless claims.
Baltimore Banner reporter Lee O. Sanderlin contributed to this report.
