FBI claims bomb threats disrupting polling came from Russian sources

The FBI reported that hoax bomb threats, many appearing to originate from Russian email domains, targeted polling sites in the battleground states of Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin during Election Day voting.

The FBI stated that none of these threats have been found credible so far, reaffirming that protecting election integrity is a top priority for the bureau.

In Georgia, two polling stations affected by the hoax in Fulton County were briefly evacuated on Tuesday but reopened after approximately 30 minutes. Fulton County officials are now seeking a court order to extend voting hours beyond the statewide 7 pm deadline.

Georgia's Republican Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, attributed the hoax bomb threats to Russian interference, remarking that Russia seeks to disrupt fair and accurate elections and provoke internal division. The Russian embassy in Washington has not yet responded to requests for comment.

Reuters was unable to verify the number of bomb threats received in Michigan and Wisconsin. Ann Jacobs, head of the Wisconsin Elections Commission, confirmed that false bomb threats were sent to two polling locations in Madison, but voting was not disrupted. Jacobs could not confirm whether the threats were linked to Russia.

An FBI official disclosed that Georgia alone had received over two dozen threats, primarily targeting Fulton County, which includes much of Atlanta, known as a Democratic stronghold.

A senior official from Raffensperger's office, speaking anonymously, noted that the email addresses used in the Georgia hoaxes had been associated with prior Russian election interference. The threats were directed to US media outlets and the polling locations, with the source stating, "It's a likelihood it's Russia."

This incident is part of a series of alleged Russian interference efforts in the 2024 election, in which Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and former Republican President Donald Trump are in a closely contested race.

On November 1, US intelligence officials reported that Russian operatives fabricated a video falsely showing Haitians casting illegal votes in Georgia. Another video falsely accused an individual linked to Harris’s campaign of accepting a bribe from an entertainer.

US intelligence has previously accused Russia of meddling in past presidential elections, notably in 2016 when Trump defeated Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.