Bomb scare at gubernatorial elections in New Jersey, USA
Several polling stations were closed in the U.S. state of New Jersey due to bomb threats made during the gubernatorial election.
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In the U.S. state of New Jersey, voters headed to the polls to elect a new governor. As the race between Democratic Party candidate Mikie Sherrill and Republican Party candidate Jack Ciattarelli continued, a series of bomb threats sent via email caused panic.
Some polling stations in the Paterson, Bergen, Essex, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Passaic regions were temporarily closed or relocated due to the bomb threats.
The State Attorney General's Office announced that security forces intervened "out of an abundance of caution." In a statement issued by the New Jersey Attorney General's Office, it was stated, "Early this morning, law enforcement responded rapidly to threats received via email. All necessary steps have been taken to ensure the security of polling locations."
Police teams conducted inspections at all centers that received threats, and voting was briefly suspended at some locations. While some centers have reopened, voters were directed to nearby alternative centers for others.
FOUND TO BE UNFOUNDED
Newark Police stated that they are investigating the source of the emails containing the fake bomb threats. A threat at a location on Gotthard Street was deemed "unfounded." It was reported that no polling stations in Newark were closed.
In Paterson, extensive security measures were taken in front of School No. 10. Mayor Andre Sayegh said, "We take the threats very seriously. We immediately evacuated the polling centers. However, all centers are currently secure and accessible to voters."
In Mercer County, a bomb threat made to the Hedgepeth-Williams Middle School on Gladstone Avenue around 5:00 a.m. also turned out to be unfounded. No explosives were found during searches conducted with police dogs. It was reported that Ewing High School in the same county received a similar threat.
Following security operations that continued throughout the day across New Jersey, many centers have reopened. The FBI and state police have launched a joint investigation into the bomb threats. Election officials stated that the incidents did not have a significant impact on the voting process and that turnout is continuing as planned.