On election day, polling places in key swing states like Wisconsin, Arizona, Georgia, and Pennsylvania faced bomb threats, allegedly from Russia. These threats caused some voting locations to temporarily close and raised concerns about the safety and integrity of the election. According to TMJ4, the FBI was quick to label the threats as non-credible and linked to Russia, noting Madison, Wisconsin as one of the targeted locations.
Despite the disturbances, officials maintained a stern posture against these disruptive attempts. In Georgia, particularly Fulton County, a Democratic stronghold, officials evacuated and then promptly reopened polling sites within about 30 minutes. Officials wasted no time seeking a court order to extend voting hours, in response to the temporary closures caused by the threats, as reported by Reuters. Georgia's Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, pointed fingers at Russian interference, suggesting that the goal was to sow discord, saying, "They're up to mischief, it seems. They don't want us to have a smooth, fair and accurate election, and if they can get us to fight among ourselves, they can count that as a victory."
Even as the consensus seemed clear among U.S. officials about the origin of the threats, the Russian embassy in Washington dismissed these accusations as "malicious slander." In a statement that stood in sharp contrast with the FBI's findings, the embassy insisted that "We would like to emphasize that Russia has not interfered and does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, including the United States,"—a claim that echoes President Vladimir Putin's oft-repeated assertions of respect for the will of the American people, as per Reuters.
In Pennsylvania, Governor Josh Shapiro told a press briefing that having posed no credible threat, bomb threats called into multiple polling locations were quickly dismissed. Besides Fulton County, the 32 bomb threats were cleared "very quickly," while five others prompted a temporary halt, as explained by Scripps News reporting statements from Police Chief W. Wade Yates. Yet, despite assurances from some officials that the locations of the threats were still under active investigation, Raffensperger had earlier identified Russia as the culprit.
These incidents did not stop the democratic process in its tracks, however. Ann Jacobs, head of the Wisconsin Elections Commission, noted that the fake bomb threats at two polling locations in the state capital didn't interfere with voting activities. Michigan, another target, also weathered the storm of threats with no interruptions reported. A spokesperson for Michigan's Secretary of State, Jocelyn Benson, acknowledged although none were credible, several polling locations faced bomb threats potentially tied to Russian activities.
