Law enforcement and election officials in New Jersey acted swiftly on Tuesday to secure polling places following a series of bomb threats that were later determined to be unfounded.
Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way, the state's top election official, stated that the threats were emailed to seven counties, including Passaic, which is a key swing county where the Department of Justice had sent election monitors.
“Law enforcement has determined that there are no credible threats at this time,” said Way. “We are doing everything in our power to protect voters and poll workers and coordinate closely with state, local, and federal partners to ensure a smooth and safe election.”
The threats coincided with the final day of voting in a closely watched gubernatorial race and came a year after bomb threats disrupted voting during the presidential election in several battleground states.
Passaic County received three threats, with some voters redirected to other polling places. The Attorney General of New Jersey, Matthew Platkin, confirmed that some polling locations had already reopened, while law enforcement officers secured affected polling places to ensure voter safety.
The FBI’s Newark office indicated it was aware of the threats and was assisting state and local agencies in the investigation. The DOJ's deployment of monitors was in response to requests from the Republican parties in both New Jersey and California, where a special election is taking place.
