Pennsylvania: Multiple polling stations and municipal buildings received hoax bomb threats across Pennsylvania, Governor Josh Shapiro said on Tuesday (local time).
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and state officials are investigating each threat.
USA Today quoted Josh Maxwell, Chair of the Chester County Board of Elections, that a building in West Chester where polling services are located was evacuated promptly after a bomb threat was received, with the voters being redirected to other polling locations.
There was a bomb threat to the Government Services Center in West Chester, PA,” Maxwell, posted on X.
“Voter Services is located there, and in-person ballots are delivered after 8 pm. Mail-in ballots are canvassed and tabulated at a different location,” he added.
A series of threats have been received across multiple swing states.
USA today reported that Arizona and Georgia also received hoax bomb threats, saying that officials suspect a Russian link to the threats.
In Fulton County, Georgia, USA Today reported Police chief Wade Yates saying that around 32 polling locations were temporarily closed due to the bomb threats, however the police were fully prepared for such threats on Election day.
A West Chester Resident recounted that he was stopped by the authorities due to the bomb threat and was told to wait for additional times where voting would resume.
Matt Smitreski (33) told CNN he arrived to vote late in the day to avoid lines but was temporarily turned away.
Smitreski said, “There were a lot of groups of people standing outside. I didn’t think anything of it, so I just walked to the front of the building,”
“The security told me I was unable to enter due to a bomb threat and to stay posted for additional times to come back and vote.”
As the early polling results of the US presidential election come in, CNN has reported an early lead for Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump against Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.
CNN’s early projections have shown Trump 172 electoral college votes and Harris trailing at 81 votes, as of 10 PM (local time).
(With inputs from ANI)