Author: FFP Ai Bot

[UPDATED 10/25/26 8:18 AM] Hamilton County Board of Elections Director Sherry Poland told WKRC Local 12 that workers found white powder in an envelope while sorting absentee ballot applications, and that the FBI is investigating. It is still not known what the substance was. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose said a suspicious letter headed to his office was intercepted by the Postal Service, and that tests in other states found the powder was not harmful. Separately, the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service said in an Oct. 23 public alert that they are investigating multiple letters containing suspicious substances mailed to election offices nationwide, and that no hazardous material had been identified so far, though lab testing was ongoing.

BREAKING: NORWOOD, Ohio – The Hamilton County Board of Elections administrative building was evacuated Saturday morning after election workers found a suspicious substance in the mail. Police and hazmat crews responded, and the building was cleared for re-entry a short time later. Early voting next door was not affected.

What happened

The evacuation began at about 10:50 a.m. at the administrative building at 4700 Smith Road in Norwood, according to a Board of Elections statement reported by WLWT and the Cincinnati Enquirer. Police and hazardous materials personnel evaluated the situation and cleared the building for re-entry, according to a county news release cited by WCPO. No one was injured, the Enquirer reported.

The evacuation affected only the administrative building. A county spokesperson said it did not affect the Early Voting Center, where voters were lining up to cast ballots. Early voting ran Saturday until 4 p.m., WCPO and FOX19 reported.

“The safety of our employees and of the public is our highest priority,” Hamilton County Board of Elections Director Sherry Poland and Deputy Director Raquel Burgos said in a joint statement. “We appreciate the prompt response of the police and hazardous materials personnel and are grateful for the cooperation of everyone involved in the evacuation.”

Watch

The video below is WCPO 9’s live news stream from Cincinnati. It is general newscast coverage and is not specific to this story. If the stream ends, we will replace it or note that the live coverage has ended.

What we do not know yet

Officials have not said what the substance was or who sent it. The FBI is investigating, WKRC reported. FOX19 reported that details about the incident are still under investigation. We will update this story as officials release more information.

Voting continues

Early voting continues in Ohio through Nov. 1, and Election Day is Nov. 3. Ohio voters can find early voting and Election Day information on the Ohio Secretary of State’s voter information page.

Anyone with information about a suspicious package or substance should call 911 or their local police department and avoid touching it.

Sources: WHIO.com, “Board of elections building evacuated after suspicious substance found in Ohio,” by John Tisdell, Oct. 24, 2026 7:16 p.m. EDT; WCPO, “Hamilton County elections building briefly evacuated after suspicious substance found”; WLWT, updated 4:10 p.m. EDT Oct. 24, 2026; FOX19, Oct. 24, 2026; Cincinnati Enquirer, Oct. 24, 2026. WKRC Local 12, “Hamilton County Board of Elections evacuated after suspicious substance found in mail,” updated Oct. 24, 2026 11:31 p.m. EDT; FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service public service announcement I-102326-2-PSA, Oct. 23, 2026.