Bomb Threats Disrupt Voting in New Jersey

New Jersey officials had to deal with an unexpected wrench on Election Day: Emailed bomb threats sent to polling sites across the state. All were eventually deemed to be hoaxes, reports the New York Times, but they caused some polling stations to temporarily close in the morning. In other cases, voters were directed to a different station, per NJ.com. At least seven of the state's 21 counties received the threats.

"It's an inconvenience," said Mayor Andre Sayegh of Paterson, where emailed threats targeted two schools used as voting stations. "Whoever is doing this is trying to disrupt this election. They're trying to create a little chaos." Passaic Mayor Hector Lora said the threats in his city and others appeared to originate from the same email address, and an investigation is underway. The incidents echoed similar Election Day hoaxes that disrupted voting in several states during the 2024 presidential contest. (New Jersey's gubernatorial contest is one of the biggest races of the day nationally.)