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Anonymous envelopes arrived on mailboxes across three states last week, each bearing a thin, handwritten note that warned “stop the count” and threatened “consequences” if officials didn’t comply.
Not what we expected. The FBI opened a joint task force with the Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday, assigning agents to trace the postmarks, paper stock, and ink composition.
And the letters weren’t merely vague – one copy mentioned the 2024 presidential election, another referenced a specific county clerk’s name, and a third cited a pending lawsuit in the Sixth Circuit.
Because the language mirrors past disinformation campaigns, investigators are also consulting the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to see if a foreign actor is involved.
In my experience, the FBI moves quickly when there’s a potential threat to democratic processes – they’ve seized servers, subpoenaed mail carriers, and even deployed forensic linguists.
The task force released a brief statement:
“We are actively reviewing the letters and working with state officials to ensure the safety of election workers,” said DOJ spokesperson Lisa Monroe.
The statement didn’t name the states, but local news outlets have identified Texas, Arizona, and Pennsylvania as the primary recipients.
But the investigation isn’t just about the letters themselves. A separate lead suggests the envelopes were printed using a commercial service that logs IP addresses – a clue that could point investigators to a domestic source.
So far, no arrests have been made, and the letters remain unsigned. The FBI urges anyone who received a similar note to preserve it, note the envelope’s serial number, and contact the nearest field office.
What officials need to know
Election clerks should treat any unsolicited communication about voting procedures as potentially hostile. Verify the sender, avoid engaging, and forward the material to law enforcement.
And keep your software patched – the letters contain a QR code that, if scanned, redirects to a phishing site mimicking the official state election portal.
We found that the QR code leads to a URL registered in early March, hosted on a server in the Netherlands – a detail that could help trace the campaign’s origin.
Key takeaway
- FBI and DHS are jointly investigating the letters.
- Three states – Texas, Arizona, Pennsylvania – are confirmed recipients.
- Letters contain QR codes linked to a foreign‑hosted phishing site.
- Officials are advised to preserve any suspicious mail and report it immediately.
For background on how the FBI handles election‑related threats, see the agency’s official press release. The agency also referenced a recent FTC subpoena of AI firms to illustrate how federal bodies coordinate on security.
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