By Alyssa Lukpat

Election officials in Raleigh, N.C, were on edge Tuesday afternoon when their office received a mysterious package from Hawaii. They called the authorities who brought in a hazmat team and a bomb squad. Police X-rayed the package and determined the culprit was a box of pineapple-shaped cookies. The package was sent as a thank-you gift to the Wake County Board of Elections, according to the board and the Raleigh Fire Department.

The ordeal highlighted the stress and anxiety election workers are feeling across the country. Threats against them have mounted in recent years. Many of them are afraid voters could react violently if the election on Nov. 5 doesn't go their way. Election workers have been trained to respond to shootings, armed mobs and stabbings. Officials in more than a dozen states have received suspicious packages in the run-up to the election, The Wall Street Journal reported. They report suspicious packages out of an abundance of caution, even if the box turns out to be a gift from the Honolulu Cookie Company.

This item is part of a Wall Street Journal live coverage event. The full stream can be found by searching P/WSJL (WSJ Live Coverage).

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

October 29, 2024 15:34 ET (19:34 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2024 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.