Elections office in Yuba County receives a fentanyl-laced letter

A Yuba County elections worker this week opened an envelope addressed to the office that contained a powdery substance that tested positive for fentanyl, prompting an investigation by local and state officials.

The incident Tuesday involved mail that did not appear suspicious and was addressed from a verified sender. The staff member took precautionary measures, did not touch the substance and was unharmed, officials said.

A field test conducted by the Yuba County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the substance was fentanyl, officials said, adding that the state’s Department of Justice will conduct further testing to verify the preliminary positive test results.

The county did not specify whether the letter was delivered via U.S. mail or another service.

The elections office closed briefly Tuesday while decontamination measures were taken but reopened around noon, according to county officials.

Citing “recent, similar incidents around the county,” county officials said elections staff had been trained to identify suspicious packages as well as reporting and handling “dangerous substances.” The elections office also has stocked up on Narcan — a medicine used to help reverse overdose.

“We are grateful that no one was harmed in this incident and we will continue to exercise caution as we perform the important work of conducting elections,” said Donna Hillegass, Yuba County’s elections clerkrecorder.

In response to the incident, California Secretary of State Shirley Weber said Tuesday that her office had issued an advisory to county election officials on safety protocols, in coordination with local, state and federal authorities.

“I am relieved that nobody was harmed,” Weber said. “The response of the Yuba County Registrar’s team and Sheriff’s office minimized potential harm and ensured my office could provide immediate guidance to the state’s 57 other counties.”