In a move to ensure the safety of its election workers, Pinal County is implementing new protocols to shield its staff from potentially dangerous ballots, following disturbing incidents last year where envelopes in various states contained lethal substances. According to a statement from Pinal County, election offices in Georgia, Nevada, California, Oregon, and Washington reportedly received envelopes with fentanyl last year, a potent opioid implicated in a severe overdose crisis sweeping the nation.
Recorder Dana Lewis and Lieutenant Ross Teeple from the Pinal County Sheriff's Office have spearheaded a training program for election personnel to identify such threats, "how to administer Narcan, a nasal spray that can reverse an opioid overdose in an emergency" the county reports states.
Narcan, now a critical tool in the fight against opioid-related incidents, will be on hand to counteract any accidental exposures among election staff during the upcoming 2024 Elections.
