Several New Jersey polling sites were closed and the voting locations moved on Election Day thanks to bomb threats, including in heavily Republican areas, while some New York City ballot centers were threatened, too, officials said.<\/p>\n
Law-enforcement agencies in the Garden State were tipped off about threats made to polling locations across Bergen, Essex, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean and Passaic counties Tuesday morning, according to the state Office of the Attorney General.<\/p>\n
\u201cLaw 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,\u201d the AG\u2019s Office said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Lodi, NJ, police and the Bergen County Sheriff\u2019s Office K9 Unit respond to Columbus Elementary School in Lodi, where a polling place was evacuated because of a bomb threat on Election Day. Kyle Mazza\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n
\u201cSome of these polling locations have already reopened to the public. At others, voters will be directed to a nearby polling location to cast their ballot,\u201d the office added.<\/p>\n
The threats temporarily shut down polling sites at three schools in the West Orange School District, briefly booting students, staffers and voters from the buildings Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n
Local cops and the Essex County Bomb Squad were called to the Washington, Gregory and Hazel elementary schools, Superintendent Hayden Moore said in an email to parents.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe district became aware of the potential bomb threats earlier this morning and while classes had yet to begin,\u201d Moore said. \u201cTo err on the side of safety, the buildings were evacuated of voters, students and staff until the buildings were declared safe and the threat was deemed not credible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, several Big Apple polling sites were hit with threats, including in emails to poll workers at one Harlem location, according to law-enforcement sources.<\/p>\n
The NYPD and the FBI are investigating those incidents.<\/p>\n
The city threats come amid a tense mayoral race between socialist Democrat Zohran Mamdani, the frontrunner, and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent.<\/p>\n
A near-record turnout of nearly 2 million is expected.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Authorities were tipped off about the threats Tuesday morning. Kyle Mazza\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n
Officials noted that all of the threats made against polling sites so far were not credible.<\/p>\n