Russia blamed for hoax bomb threats at US voting sites

The 2024 US presidential campaign has been a particularly volatile one – Copyright AFP Elijah Nouvelage

Anuj Chopra with Joshua Melvin in Washington

Bomb threats targeted dozens of polling places in battleground states Georgia and Pennsylvania during voting on Tuesday, with the FBI reporting similar hoaxes in “multiple” US states.

The 2024 US presidential campaign has been a particularly volatile one, and security for Election Day has been ramped up given concerns over possible civil unrest, election chicanery and violence against poll workers.

None of the threats in areas around Georgia’s biggest city Atlanta appeared to be credible, but some caused voting sites to briefly suspend operations while authorities checked for explosives.

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

“None of the threats have been determined to be credible thus far,” she added, urging the public to “remain vigilant.”

Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said the state had identified Russia as the source of bomb threats, without elaborating.

Thirty-two polling stations in Georgia’s Fulton County — which includes Atlanta — were among those facing threats, County Police Chief Wade Yates told reporters.

He added that five sites were briefly closed while authorities checked for explosives, but found nothing.

Another five sites in Democratic stronghold DeKalb County saw voting disrupted.

“We are the descendants of, the sons and daughters of people who faced lynch mobs, water cannon… to exercise the right to vote. And so we aren’t going to let bomb threats turn us around,” Mayor Kobi of South Fulton told AFP.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro told reporters that multiple bomb threats were called in to polling sites and public buildings across the state, but none appeared to be credible. 

– ‘Smelled like fuel’ –

With Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump deadlocked at the climax of the 2024 race, authorities are keen to reassure jittery Americans that their votes are secure. But they have also bolstered physical security for election operations nationwide.

Poll workers have been given panic buttons, special weapons teams have been deployed on rooftops and hundreds of National Guard personnel have been placed on standby.

The FBI set up a national election command post in Washington to monitor threats 24 hours a day through election week.

The US Capitol Police, who protect the seat of Congress in Washington, arrested a man Tuesday who “smelled like fuel” and was carrying a lighter and accelerant.

He was stopped at the Capitol visitor center — part of the complex that was stormed by Trump supporters in a deadly riot on January 6, 2021, as they sought to overturn his election loss to Joe Biden.

Police Chief J. Thomas Manger later told a news conference that the man had “papers” he intended to deliver to Congress and that it was unclear if he was planning to light himself on fire.

“There’s no indication, right now, that it had anything to do with the election,” he said.