Authorities in New Jersey are reporting bomb threats called into multiple polling locations on Tuesday, false alarms, officials say, that disrupt the voting process with the state’s governor and other key races on the line.
According to the state attorney general, multiple polling places in at least seven counties — Bergen, Essex, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean and Passaic — received anonymous threatening emails. Law enforcement responded to each location and cleared the scenes. None of the cases was deemed credible.
Some of the polling places reopened after a brief investigative closure. At others, voters are being sent to nearby polling locations to cast their ballots, according to New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin.
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Platkin wants voters to know they can cast their ballots with confidence and without fear of intimidation.
“Law enforcement officers have responded at each affected polling place, and they have worked swiftly to secure these polling locations and ensure the safety of every voter,” Platkin said in a statement. “Voters should continue to have confidence that they can cast their ballot without fear of intimidation, and we will continue to work tirelessly to ensure a free, fair, and secure election.”
“Make no mistake: We will not tolerate any attempts to interfere with our elections, and we will swiftly hold accountable anyone who seeks to interfere with the safety or security of our electoral process,” he added.
No arrests have been announced in the false reporting cases. Anyone who believes they’re seeing suspicious activity at a polling site should call the FBI, Platkin said.
Passaic is among six counties in two states where the DOJ announced last month it would send federal observers. The other five are in California, which is holding a special election asking voters to allow a redraw of the state’s congressional map as a way to counter Republican redistricting urged by Trump.
The FBI’s Newark office said it was aware of the reports and was assisting the state and local agencies.
It comes a year after a series of bomb threats disrupted voting during last year’s presidential election, mostly in battleground states. Bomb threat hoaxes also circulated in Springfield, Ohio, last year after Donald Trump during the campaign amplified false claims of Haitian immigrants there abducting and eating pets.