Multiple polling places in critical battleground states faced Election Day bomb threats on Tuesday, with the FBI ultimately linking the false threats to Russian actors in a new act of election meddling.
“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 an official statement following the threats. “None of the threats have been determined to be credible thus far.”
According to Reuters, the threats were targeted to key polling places in Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin—three swing states both Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Republican nominee Donald Trump have been fiercely battling to win.
Officials say they are taking all necessary precautions to address threats on Election Day, and temporarily evacuated two polling locations in Fulton County, Ga. after the threats were sent. The hoax ultimately caused a delay of about 30 minutes in that location, and local officials are now seeking to extend voting hours.
“They’re up to mischief, it seems,” Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger told reporters Tuesday, according to Reuters. “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.”
Wisconsin also saw bomb threats at two Madison polling locations, but officials reported that voting proceeded without major interruption. Ann Jacobs, head of the Wisconsin Elections Commission, mentioned that while some locations received threats, there was no evidence to link them conclusively to Russian actors.
The FBI, in its official statement, also urged the public to stay vigilant and report any suspicious activities. Election integrity, the statement emphasized, remains one of the bureau’s top priorities. Voters are encouraged to report any suspicious activities to local authorities or submit tips to the FBI online or by phone at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
This incident marks the latest in a series of alleged attempts by foreign actors to influence or disrupt the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Just last week, U.S. intelligence identified a fake video allegedly originating from Russian sources that showed people purportedly destroying mail-in ballots for Trump. This builds on prior warnings from U.S. officials, who have raised alarms about Russian efforts to interfere in past elections, most notably in 2016.