Several "non-credible" bomb threats interrupted Georgia voting at two polling places in a majority-Black city.
On Tuesday (November 5), Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said bomb threats at Etris Community Center and Gullatt Elementary in Union City, which boasts a nearly 90 percent Black population, originated from Russia, per CNN.
“We’ve heard some threats that were of Russian origin. I don’t know how to describe that that’s viable – we don’t think they are, but in the interest of public safety, we always check that out, and we’ll just continue to be very responsible when we hear about stuff like that,” Raffensperger said in a statement. “We identified the source, and it was from Russia.”
“They’re up to mischief, it seems, and they don’t want us to have a smooth, fair, and accurate election,” he added. “Anything that can get us to fight amongst ourselves - they can count that as a victory.”
The FBI also addressed the threats but didn't name a source.
“Election integrity and protecting our community is our highest priority, and the FBI is working closely with state and local law enforcement partners to respond to election threats and protect our communities as Americans exercise their right to vote,” the FBI said in a statement, noting the agency had no information to indicate that the threat was credible.
It's unclear how state officials determined the bomb threats came from Russia.
Following the incident, the community center and elementary school were temporarily closed as polling locations. Georgia voter Michael Osborne said the delay at Etris Community Center lasted roughly an hour. Voters were forced to wait outside while law enforcement cleared the building.
“Three voters were mid-vote when it happened and probably about 25 people in line,” poll watcher Evette Reyes said.
Fulton County registration and elections director Nadine Williams said officials are trying to extend voting hours following the interruption.
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