Election Day bomb threats disrupt voting in multiple states

The U.S. saw a rash of discredited bomb threats called in at polling places in multiple states on Election Day, in some cases spurring the need for extended voting hours.

Faulty bomb threats were called into at least five states, something the FBI later attributed to Russian accounts.

At least seven different polling locations in Georgia were targeted with bomb threats, something Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) likewise attributed to a “foreign state actor.”

Similar threats were made at polling places in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, along with hoax bomb threats made at polling places in the Navajo Nation in Arizona.

None of the bomb threats were deemed credible, but they nonetheless caused disruption at polling places, sparking evacuations and delays.

“We've also been made aware that in the course of the last hour, multiple bomb threats have been called into polling locations and municipal buildings across Pennsylvania,” Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) said at a press conference Tuesday. “State and local law enforcement, along with the FBI, are investigating these threats and thus far there is no credible threat to the public.”

The FBI attributed the threats in multiple states to Russia, noting the threats stemmed from Russian accounts.

“The FBI is aware of bomb threats to polling locations in several states, many of which appear to originate from Russian email domains,” the FBI said in a statement.

“None of the threats have been determined to be credible thus far.”

In some cases, judges ordered extended voting hours in areas impacted by the bomb threats.

A Pennsylvania judge granted a request from the Clearfield County solicitor to extend voting an additional hour at the Clearfield County Administrative Building, allowing voters to cast a ballot at the location through 9 p.m. EST.

Voting hours were likewise extended at multiple Georgia polling locations impacted by bomb threats.

A judge also ordered extended voting hours at nine different Navajo Nation sites, but that change came after polling places there experienced issues printing ballots.

Russia has denied it was behind the various bomb threats.

“We have noticed the statement of the U.S. intelligence services accusing our country of disseminating fabricated videos about electoral violations in the United States. We view these allegations as baseless,” the Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C., said in a statement, writing it had not received “any proof” to back the claims.

Beyond the bomb threats, U.S. intelligence officials also pinned Russia as being behind a number of various disinformation efforts.

“Russia is the most active threat. Influence actors linked to Russia in particular are manufacturing videos and creating fake articles to undermine the legitimacy of the election, instill fear in voters regarding the election process, and suggest Americans are using violence against each other due to political preferences,” the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the FBI, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency announced in a joint statement late Monday.

Zach Schonfeld and Yash Roy contributed.