This election day morning took a tense turn in Fulton County, Georgia, as officials addressed a series of bomb threats that targeted polling sites in the state’s most populous county.
As voters lined up to cast their ballots, tensions got a little high when it was reported that some sites had received threats that authorities deemed to be “non-credible.” Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger weighed in, noting the origins of the threats were “of Russian origin,” raising eyebrows…
Meanwhile, Fulton County Election Director Nadine Williams disclosed that five polling locations received the unsettling threats. However, in a morning press conference, she chose not to specify all the locations. The emphasis on their “non-credible” status was a relief to many, though two sites in Union City—Etris-Darnell Senior Center and C.H. Gullatt Elementary School—had to be evacuated for roughly 30 minutes while police assessed the situation. Fortunately, contingency plans were put into place, as Williams mentioned efforts to secure a court order that would allow these two locations to remain open for an additional 30 minutes this evening to offset the disruption.
The urgency of the situation was mirrored by South Fulton Police, who responded to a call regarding Feldwood Elementary School, another polling place. They conducted a thorough sweep of the premises but did not evacuate, noting that everything was completely secure.
The drama didn’t stop there, as the South Fulton PD reported that multiple schools, in addition to Feldwood, received what they described as something akin to a “threat of a threat.” A warning indicated that bomb threats would be executed at 8:15 a.m., but the police confirmed that sadly, no actual threats materialized. This left folks wondering if Feldwood was among the original five locations listed by Williams.
As of 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, no other threat situations had been reported across Georgia, putting many at ease as they focused on the important task of voting.
While the day began with uncertainty and trepidation, officials reassured the public that security measures were in place, allowing democracy to proceed undeterred amid the backdrop of alarming news.
Get out and vote!
