More Bomb Threats Target GA Polling Sites On Election Day 2024

Updated 8:37 p.m.

ATLANTA, GA — A metro Atlanta area is among a host of counties that have received false bomb threats on a day when state officials said at least 800,000 million people have voted in the 2024 general election.

DeKalb County officials on Tuesday evening said six precincts and two other locations were the target of the threats. DeKalb County Police investigated the threats.

“Rest assured that we are working quickly to ensure every voter will have an opportunity
to cast their ballot despite these bomb threats,” Keisha Smith, executive director of DeKalb County Voter Registration and Elections, said in an earlier news release. “Out of an abundance of caution, we are suspending voting at these polling locations until we have clearance from DeKalb Police to reopen the facilities.”

The following locations received bomb threats but have since been cleared:

Precincts:

• New Bethel AME Church, 8350 Rockbridge Road, Lithonia
• New Life Community Center, 3592 Flat Shoals Road, Decatur
• North DeKalb Senior Center, 3393 Malone Drive, Chamblee
• Reid H. Cofer Library, 5234 Lavista Road, Tucker
• Wesley Chapel Library, 2861 Wesley Chapel Road, Decatur
• Briarwood Recreation Center, 2235 Briarwood Way NE, East Atlanta.

Other locations:

• Stonecrest (Old Sam’s Club) – Not a polling location
• Salem Panola Library, 5137 Salem Road, Lithonia - Not a polling location

Police have swept all sites, and they have been reopened for voters to cast ballots.

In a 2:30 p.m. update, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger continued to address concerns regarding false bomb threats he said originated in Russia.

"Georgia's not going to be intimidated," Raffensperger said, adding Russia "picked on the wrong Georgia."

In an earlier update, he said the threats impacted about seven precincts in various counties though they did not affect people's ability to vote.

Georgia officials will "push back hard against election interference and election disinformation," Raffensperger said.

Though 5 million people were expected to vote Tuesday, Raffensperger said 800,000 have already headed to the polls to make their choices in the 2024 presidential election.

In the latest update, he said 1.2 million voters were expected to cast ballots, county officials said at 7:15 p.m.

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Raffensperger said voters were standing in lines for an average of 2-3 minutes and were taking an average of 49 seconds to check in at the polls mid-Tuesday afternoon.

This was amid delays at two Fulton County precincts due to an unknown nature of threats.

Fulton County Police responded to early morning threats at Etris Community Center and Gullatt Elementary School in Union City, county officials said, adding no active threats were located.

Both Etris and Gullatt closed for a short time due to the threats, county officials said.

Fulton County election officials are planning to request a court order that would permit the two locations to remain open for the duration of the closures. Traditionally, voting ends at 7 p.m. Tuesday, but if a person is in line by 7 p.m., they are allowed to vote.

"Disruption of the voting process is a crime, and individuals found to be making disruptive threats will face charges. We want to assure voters that their safety is our highest priority," county officials said in a news release.

Fulton County has 177 polling locations, all of which will include police presence, county officials said.

In Cobb County, a judge has ordered voting extensions at two precincts due to delayed openings after there were some equipment issues, county officials said.

The locations at Mount Paran Church of God, 1700 Allgood Road NE in Marietta, and Kell High School, 4770 Lee Waters Road in Marietta, will close at 7:20 p.m.

"Voters should be aware that, due to federal races on the ballot, anyone casting a ballot at these precincts during the extended hours will need to vote via a provisional ballot," county officials said.