Bomb Threat At PA Polling Place Prompts Evacuation, Late Poll Hours

WEST CHESTER, PA — Polls remained open until 10 p.m. at two locations in Chester County after a bomb threat at the Government Services building Tuesday night. That building houses polling locations, and is also where the county tabulates in-person ballots.

The threat was targeted to the building on 601 Westtown Road in West Chester, which also houses the county's Voter Services center.

Those who would have voted at the Government Services Center were instead directed to two neighboring polling places.

"Chester County emergency officials are investigating a bomb threat sent to the Chester County Government Services Center which mirrors the bomb threats sent to election offices across Pennsylvania and the United States," Chester County Commissioner Josh Maxwell said in a statement.

Those are the only two locations that will be open late. All other Chester County polling locations closed at 8 p.m.

The Government Services Center, which was evacuated, remains closed. It was being searched by dogs for further threat as of 8:25 p.m. Vote tabulation will occur there as normal if there is no further threat.

In the meantime, the building is closed.

It's not yet clear how the threat will impact the timeliness of election results.

Mail-in ballots are not impacted, as they are canvassed and tabulated elsewhere.