A suspicious package containing a white, powdery substance was sent to the State Board of Elections this week.
It was identified at a state mail service center in Raleigh, according to officials.
Emergency crews responded and tested the substance. No one was injured.
State board staff are now wearing protective gloves when handling mail and taking additional precautions. The board also gave out training and guidance materials to the 100 county boards of election to ensure they are equipped to respond to the threat.
North Carolina is now the 20th state to get this kind of threat.
RELATED: Suspicious mail containing white powder sent to election offices in at least 16 states
“The goal here is to intimidate people who are engaged in counting the votes, engaged in administering our elections and it’s strictly prohibited under the Voting Rights Act,” said John Bonifaz, a Massachusetts-based constitutional attorney and co-founder of Free Speech for People. “When we threaten election officials, we undermine the entire process of our democracy and we undermine the right to vote.”