Riti Dey/Assistant News Editor 

Following the contentious 2020 presidential elections, polling sites around the nation began preparing for unprecedented stressors during the  upcoming presidential election  season. According to the New York Times, anonymous political agitators have used anthrax scares, which were disease-contaminated letters, threats of violence and countless other harmful tactics against election workers    over the last decade.   This November, fentanyl-laced letters containing messages calling to “end elections now” were  sent anonymously to election offices in Washington state, Oregon, Nevada, California and Georgia, with no clear indication as to where they were coming from. 

According to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, “fentanyl is a potent, synthetic opioid drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use as an analgesic (pain relief) and anesthetic. It is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin as an analgesic.” The number of fentanyl-related deaths have tripled over the last seven years. 

The threatening, fentanyl-laced envelopes are a new source of tension and fear in regard to the upcoming election cycle. The BBC  stated that Fulton County in Georgia has been anticipating a rise in threats  following  the  2020 election, when former President Donald Trump claimed that the county committed widespread ballot fraud. Fulton County Commission Chairman Robb Pitts explained how there are “people out there who want to do harm to our workers and disrupt, interrupt, the flow of democracy.” Pitts added  that officials have been preparing for the 2024 election,  which would be   the “focal point” of scrutiny for election workers. “This [November election of 2023] was a good trial run for us,” he said to the BBC.

The National Association of Election Officials also expected similar challenges would come up for the 2024 election cycle, noticing a drop in election workers since the last election. The New York Times reported that “the coming election year will impose greater strains than in any of the past,” citing the turnover   in election jobs over the past year. “Turnover in election jobs doubled over the past year,” the report stated. “Nearly one-third of  election officials said that they knew someone who had left an election post, at least in part because of fears over safety.”

Dr. Jennifer Wenzel, professor of psychology at USD, previously worked   at the National Institute on  Drug Abuse as a Health Scientist Administrator. She explained her thoughts on this issue.

“It’s clear that overdose fatalities resulting from the use of synthetic opioids,  like fentanyl, are growing rapidly,” Wenzel said. “Data from the National Center  for  Health Statistics at the CDC show that overdose deaths from synthetic opioids almost doubled from 2019-2021. And CDC   data show that fentanyl overdose has become the leading killer of adults 18-45, outpacing auto accidents, gun violence, heart disease and COVID.” 

USD first-year Madelyn Tobin discussed her initial reaction to hearing about this issue. 

“I heard about this happening at election sites, and I was just confused as to why someone would do that,” Tobin said. 

USD first-year Katherine Wronski  also shared her reaction to the threat of fentanyl in election offices. “I think it’s a big concern and more people should know about it,” Wronski said. “I  was aware of the growing abundance of fentanyl in drugs, but I was unaware that it was being used as a sort of weapon.”

In reference to the election officials, Wenzel shared her concerns. 

“Briefly touching fentanyl powder is not likely to cause an overdose, and overdose by accidental exposure is extremely rare,” Wenzel explained. “That being said, this is still an act of terrorism, and election workers deserve to not be afraid for their health at work.”  

Election sites are now preparing to fight these fentanyl threats. According to Fox 35 Orlando, workers in the counties affected are being equipped with NARCAN, a nasal spray that treats fentanyl overdoses in emergency situations. While election sites take this initiative, students and faculty wonder if these initiatives should take place on campus as well, due to the rise of this drug nationwide. 

While fentanyl may be a new fear    for   these   election   workers, the increase of fentanyl nationwide is already a concern for college students, since it can be easily laced into other, more commonly used drugs, too. 

According  to the CDC, “fentanyl was  involved in the vast majority of teen overdose deaths in 2021.” 

“[Professors] are not trained [to use NARCAN], but we should be,” Wenzel  shared.  “And students at USD should have access to free naloxone and the option of attending free training on how to use naloxone on campus. Being prepared and carrying  naloxone would empower USD students, faculty and staff to save lives, not only on our campus but in the San Diego community.” 

USD Public Safety rolled out distribution of NARCAN earlier this   semester, and trained students on administering naloxone on campus. While election officials train how to combat these issues in their offices, the extent to which these anonymous threats will continue is unknown.