FBI, swing-state officials allege Russians behind bomb threats at U.S. polling stations

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Federal law enforcement and swing-state election officials reported bomb threats to polling stations on Tuesday, saying they believed the threats originated in Russia.

Russian officials denied any involvement in such threats.

The FBI in a statement said it was aware of such threats to polling locations in “several states,” many of which appeared to “originate from Russian email domains.”

It said none of the threats were considered “credible.”

Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said Tuesday afternoon that his office was monitoring “unsubstantiated” bomb threats at four locations in Navajo Nation.

“We have no reason to believe that any of our voters or any of our polling places are in any sort of jeopardy,” Fontes said.

Fontes said he did have “some reason to believe,” however, that the threats came from Russia because the threats came from a .ru email address, though that doesn’t necessarily confirm they originated in Russia.

“We don’t see anything in the pattern or in the distribution that would make us think that this is to affect a political outcome,” Fontes said. “We do, however, believe that invoking chaos, and trying to get us to kinda rattle in our boots, is the reason that they’re doing this.”

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said at a news conference that “about five to seven” precincts across the state received bomb threats early Tuesday from a “foreign state actor.” Two precincts shut down voting for 30 minutes while law enforcement investigated, but most polling places carried on without incident.

“We’re pretty quick on our feet, and we catch them every time,” Raffensperger said. He said voting was running smoothly, and that “lines are moving.”

Asked what his message was for the Russians, Raffensperger said that their mission was to try to destabilize America, but “Georgia is not going to be intimidated.”

“I’m just really grateful I’m an American, and I’m not from Russia,” Raffensperger also said.

U.S. officials have accused Russia and its agents of directly meddling in U.S. elections for years.

Asked for comment Tuesday, the Russian embassy directed The Times to Russian remarks from top officials in which they denied involvement. The embassy had also released a statement last week saying Russia does not interfere in U.S. elections, as if anticipating such allegations on election day.

“Before every election, American authorities and media descend into hysteria about ‘Russain disinformation and inference,’” the embassy wrote. “Russia has not and does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, including the U.S.”

The FBI said that election integrity is among its “highest priorities,” and that law enforcement would “continue to work closely with our state and local law enforcement partners to respond to any threats to our elections and to protect our communities as Americans exercise their right to vote.”