By Marilyn Odendahl
The Indiana Citizen
October 16, 2026
Amid reports of “suspicious letters” being sent to election officials around the country, Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales’ office said it has not received any such mailings.
“We are aware that other secretaries of state and election offices across the country have received letters containing a suspicious substance,” Lindsey Eaton, spokesperson for Morales’ office, said in an email on Friday. “Fortunately, our office has not received anything of that nature.”
The FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating more than 100 suspicious letters that were mailed to state election officials across the country as well as congressional offices, according to reports by NPR and Votebeat. Some of the letters were said to contain a white powdery substance which was found to be harmless, NPR and Votebeat reported.
In Arizona, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes told Votebeat his office had to be evacuated after receiving one of the letters containing the unknown substance. Hazmat workers were called in to clear the area.
Election offices in at least 15 states have reported receiving or being the intended recipient of such letters, ABC News reported. Indiana’s neighboring states of Illinois and Ohio were among the states being targeted.
According to Votebeat, some letters bound for secretary of state offices had been intercepted by the FBI and U.S. postal inspectors.
“We are on alert and have notified local election administrators to be on alert as well,” Eaton, of the Indiana Secretary of State’s office, said.
Similar incidents of suspicious packages being sent to election officials were reported prior to elections in 2023 and 2024, according to the Associated Press. The letters in 2023 were sent to at least five states and some contained fentanyl, while more than 15 states, including Indiana, were sent “suspicious packages” in 2024, but none were found to contain any harmful substances, the AP reported.
In a joint statement issued Oct. 14, the National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors said they were “deeply concerned” about the recent reports of suspicious letters.
“As we have each stated in the past, threats against election officials and workers have no place in our democracy,” NASS and NASED said. “Those who administer our elections should never fear for their safety while carrying out their essential duties.”
Dwight Adams, an editor and writer based in Indianapolis, edited this article. He is a former content editor, copy editor and digital producer at The Indianapolis Star and IndyStar.com, and worked as a planner for other newspapers, including the Louisville Courier Journal.
The Indiana Citizen is a nonpartisan, nonprofit platform dedicated to increasing the number of informed and engaged Hoosier citizens. We are operated by the Indiana Citizen Education Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) public charity. For questions about the story, contact Marilyn Odendahl at marilyn.odendahl@indianacitizen.org.
