February 18, 2026

TLP:CLEAR

In This Issue:

• Situation Room: In January, an envelope containing suspicious white powder was sent to the Rhode Island State Elections Division.
  
• Resource Library: Two practical resources for dealing with suspicious mail -The Election Mail Handling Procedures Guide and a poster for your mailroom, How to Respond to Potential Toxic Exposure.
  
• Planning Desk: Time to bring your election security team together! Prepare for the first meeting by planning and circulating your agenda this week.

Suspicious White Powder Mailings

In early January, the Elections Division in Rhode Island’s Secretary of State’s office received an envelope containing a suspicious white powder. The building was evacuated and emergency services responded. The powder was later determined to be “non-harmful.”

Election offices have increasingly become targets of such mailings. In 2023, suspicious letters were received in five states, and in the weeks before the 2024 General Election, mailings containing white powder were sent to Secretaries of State and election offices in all 50 states.

Speaking to local media, Secretary of State Gregg Amore described the mailing as “an attempt to frighten the dedicated public servants who keep Rhode Island’s elections safe, secure, and fair.”

Details: Elections Division staff encountered the suspicious envelope while processing daily mail. Having been trained on procedures for handling suspicious mail, they isolated the envelope and immediately alerted emergency services, including the State Police and the FBI. The facility was cleared while law enforcement responded.

Providence Fire Department’s Hazmat team responded in coordination with the Department of Environmental Management and State Police. “Out of precaution, we went through the protocols to make sure that the building was evacuated,” State Police Maj. Erik Yanyar said. “It will come back to our forensics unit and [we will] be able to begin an investigation to see if we can find out exactly where the letter came from.”

One employee was taken to a nearby hospital as a precaution, but did not experience symptoms. State Police determined there was no credible ongoing threat.

Lessons:

• Be prepared for disruption at any time. Conduct regular training exercises with staff to practice response procedures.

• Toxic substances can be mimicked, causing the same disruption to your operations, even if later found harmless.

• Although the election office may not be the target, a suspicious mailing can disrupt all employees at that location.  

For additional guidance, review the resources highlighted below in the Resource Library section of this newsletter.

The Situation Room focuses on real security incidents and threats in the news relevant to election security. To review previous issues, see the newsletter archive.

Suspicious Election Mail Handling Procedures

Election Mail Handling Procedures explains how to identify and handle suspicious mail and respond to potential exposure. CISA, the EAC, the FBI, and USPIS developed the guide jointly. 

This guide provides practical guidance on:

• Preparation: Shares helpful practices for preparing for potential mail disruptions, including training, protective equipment, and isolating mail areas.

• Identification: Explores the characteristics of suspicious packages to help you recognize them.
• Emergency Response: Outlines the next steps if exposure is suspected.

How To Respond To Potential Toxic Exposure is a print-ready poster, produced by The Elections Group, that can be used in your mailroom or mail ballot processing location, outlining steps to take in the event of exposure. Hang the poster where your team processes mail as a constant reminder and quick reference for how to respond if a suspicious mailing is received.

The Resource Library section of the newsletter spotlights election security resources. All highlighted resources are available online in the Resource Library.

Planning Desk Week E-37: 
Engage your election security team!

Effective emergency preparedness draws on the skills and experience of you and your security partners. Meeting as a team helps build a shared understanding of relevant threats and strengthens resilience. In our last two issues, we suggested identifying your team, assets, and resources. Now you’re ready to bring everyone together. Here is a model agenda to help you plan your first meeting.

• Dedicate 30 minutes to drafting and distributing your agenda. Whether your team has met previously or is convening for the first time, the agenda could include the following topics:
  

  • Introductions
    • Everyone shares their name, department/agency, and role in elections, emergency preparedness, incident response, or security.
  • Election Overview
    • Walk through the lists you made of the operational areas of your office; key staff, equipment, and procedures in each; vulnerabilities you recognize; and back-ups in place or needed. Provide the timeline for upcoming elections.
  • Incidents & Threats
    • Explore the risks to elections in your jurisdiction by sharing threat intelligence and the impact of natural disasters in other jurisdictions, and reviewing any recent incidents or concerns.
  • Mission
    • Share your vision for election security. Work together to establish a clear mission to ensure the team understands its purpose and scope.
  • Meeting Cadence
    • Agree on a meeting cadence, location, and standard running agenda for future meetings. Frequency may vary based on the timing of your next election, and a mix of in-person and virtual meetings can encourage participation. If this is your only meeting before the primary, discuss when and how often to meet before the general election.

In subsequent meetings, the Election Overview may be just a timeline refresher for an upcoming election, and the Meeting Cadence may be a reminder of the when and how for the next meeting. Anytime someone new joins, introduce everyone and their role!

Need more tips? Check out the Election Security Exchange's guide It Starts with a Team: Building Your Election Security Working Group.
 

Want help facilitating your first meeting? Contact us at newsletter@securingelections.org.

The Planning Desk is a running timeline of key election security tasks. Uou can find prior editions in the newsletter archive.