The Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office in Baton Rouge was partially evacuated Tuesday after an employee found an unknown white powder inside a package, according to Secretary of State Nancy Landry.
The package was opened around 12:20 p.m. by an employee in the Elections Division at the office on Essen Lane. Officials have not identified the substance, and no injuries have been reported.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we have evacuated the Elections section and turned off the building’s air conditioning,” Landry said in a statement. “We do not know what the substance is at this time, and there are no injuries at this time.”
Landry said law enforcement was called to the scene. Local media reported that the FBI was also responding to test the powder. The evacuation was limited to the Elections Division, and officials have not said whether the substance posed a danger.
Authorities have not disclosed where the package came from or who sent it. They have also not said whether it was addressed to a specific employee.
In 2024, a suspicious package containing white powder was found at the California Secretary of State’s headquarters in Sacramento. Testing later determined that the substance was unbleached flour.
In Texas, suspicious packages and letters have also led to evacuations at the state Capitol. Such incidents are often treated cautiously because some hazardous substances can look like ordinary powders, and testing is needed to determine what they contain.
The Louisiana incident remains under investigation. Officials have not released the results of any testing or provided further details about the package.