White substance found in envelope at Salt Lake City polling location, deemed not harmful

SALT LAKE CITY — A white substance was found inside an envelope Tuesday, causing an evacuation of the Salt Lake City and County Building.

At approximately 1:40 p.m., an envelope was found with a white substance at the Salt Lake City and County Building, according to Brandt Hancuff with the Salt Lake City Fire Department.

Law enforcement was at the voting location when the substance was discovered, and the ballot was sequestered to test the material, according to Salt Lake City County Clerk Lannie Chapman.

The room where the ballot was located was reportedly evacuated for one hour. After the evacuation was in place, two hazmat units responded to the scene, Hancuff told KSL TV.

Firefighters reportedly took what was left of the substance for testing and deemed there was no hazard posed by the substance found.

Chapman reported the findings would not delay ballot processing, and voting continued after the substance was cleared.

“Anyone attempting to intimidate election workers or disrupt election administration in any way can expect to face criminal charges,” Lt. Gov. Diedre Henderson said in a post on X.

We are aware of the situation in Salt Lake County and commend the county clerk, her employees, and emergency personnel for acting swiftly to ensure the safety of those in the area.

This incident will be fully investigated. Anyone attempting to intimidate election workers or…

— Lt. Gov. Deidre M. Henderson (@LGHendersonUtah) November 5, 2024

This is a breaking story and may be updated.