Photo: AFP
Several New Jersey polling places were temporarily shut down after bomb threats were reported as voters were casting their ballots in a key gubernatorial race, per the New York Daily News.
On Tuesday (November 4) morning, the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General said threats were made against polling sites in seven counties, including Bergen, Essex, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Passaic.
“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,” the Attorney General’s Office said in a statement. “Some 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.”
Officials noted that none of the threats were deemed credible, though the incidents prompted evacuations and heightened police presence at several schools serving as polling places.
In Bergen County, all polling sites later reopened after law enforcement determined the threats were a hoax.
“These are malicious, intimidation-driven acts intended to disrupt the democratic process,” county spokesperson Derek Sands said.
Similar evacuations and security sweeps occurred in Paterson, Woodbridge, and North Brunswick. Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh confirmed that police acted “immediately” and that “all polling sites are safe and open for voters.”
The threats came as Democrat U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill and Republican businessman Jack Ciattarelli face off in one of the nation’s most closely watched gubernatorial races, raising immediate concerns about voter intimidation.
“Obviously this is an attempt to suppress the vote here,” Sherrill told reporters. “I don’t think New Jerseyans take very kindly to that kind of tampering in our election system.”
By Tuesday afternoon, most affected polling places had reopened, and voters were being redirected where necessary. New Jersey Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way, the state’s chief election officer, urged residents to continue voting.
“We are doing everything in our power to protect voters and poll workers,” Way said, adding that officials were coordinating closely with local and federal law enforcement “to ensure a smooth and safe election.”
State authorities said they are investigating the source of the threats.
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