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Oklahoma Elections Office Evacuated After Receiving Envelope with 'Suspicious White Powder'
Officials said preliminary tests did not identify the powder as harmful, and the employee was taken to the emergency room as a precaution.
On Tuesday, the Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry's office in Baton Rouge was evacuated after an employee discovered suspicious white powder in a package at the Elections Division office on Archives Avenue.
An employee opened the package around 12:20 p.m., prompting immediate evacuation of the Elections Division; the building's air conditioning was shut off to contain the substance.
Preliminary on-site tests did not identify the powder as harmful, though officials said, "We do not know what the substance is at this time." The employee was taken to the emergency room as a precaution and remained unharmed.
Deputy Secretary Trey Williams confirmed the incident caused no interruption in voter registration activity for the Nov. election, and the office plans to resume normal operating hours tomorrow.
Online registration remains available through the GeauxVote system until 11:59 p.m. today, the final day 20 days before Election Day, while officials investigate the package's source.