Jacksonville’s New Town Polling Station Briefly Closed Due to Suspicious Package, Voting Resumes Safely

Voters at the Beaver Street Enterprise Center in Jacksonville’s New Town area experienced an election day disruption when a suspicious package led to a temporary closure of the polling location. The site, located at 1225 West Beaver St. was closed for approximately 40 minutes, from 12:20 p.m. to just before 1 p.m., First Coast News reported. Duval County Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland indicated that during the closure, voters were directed to the downtown office to continue the voting process.

While the Beaver Street Enterprise Center remained closed, voters were not left without recourse. As Holland explained to News4JAX, the polling station’s equipment had battery power, enabling voting to proceed outside if necessary. Although approximately 20 individuals were affected by the shutdown, the Supervisor of Elections office had opened all 160 precincts in Duval County on time, with no other reported issues.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) investigated the incident after the package was found outside the polling site but not inside it. The JSO revealed that the package, initially causing concern, was eventually deemed safe. Following the all-clear, operations at the polling location resumed as normal. Officer Christian Hancock clarified that the object found was “a trunk type box. It was rendered safe. And the polling location reopened,” according to an interview obtained by Jaxtrib.

Holland commended the swift action of both election officials and law enforcement on Jaxtrib, stating there was ultimately “nothing in the suspicious package that was dangerous.” He mentioned that those arriving during the closure were redirected downtown, ensuring uninterrupted access to voting. Furthermore, Holland noted no significant spike in voting traffic at other precincts, and expressed confidence that most voters were able to cast their ballots without undue inconvenience. Reportedly, it is still unknown who reported the suspicious package – whether it was a well-meaning citizen concerned over a perceived threat, or a mischievous hoax.

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