Ohio election office among multiple nationwide to receive suspicious packages

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced that election offices across the country and in Ohio have received suspicious packages, continuing a trend of security threats toward state agencies.

Fifteen election offices in the United States reportedly received a package with a powdery substance that was ruled nonhazardous, according to a statement from LaRose's office. It's working with state law enforcement as well as FBI and U.S. Postal Service agents to investigate the threats.

“We were notified by our law enforcement partners to be on the lookout for this package, and we were able to intercept it before it reached our office,” LaRose said.

Gov. Mike DeWine approved additional security measures for election offices and LaRose personally.

The state has seen an increase in threats, particularly in Springfield, where hoax bomb threats targeted schools and public buildings starting last week amidst the city being put in the national spotlight when Sen. J.D. Vance — the Republican nominee for vice president, who’s from Middletown, Ohio — pushed unfounded accusations that illegal Haitian immigrants were eating pets there.

The Ohio Statehouse received a bomb threat Monday that DeWine said was connected to the attention on Springfield. DeWine encouraged parents to return their children to class Tuesday after one swatting call was made that day.