Hoax bomb threats linked to Russia target polling places in battleground states, FBI says

Hoax bomb threats, many of which appeared to originate from Russian email domains, were directed on Tuesday at polling locations in five battleground states - Georgia, Michigan, Arizona, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania - as Election Day voting was underway, the FBI said.

"None of the threats have been determined to be credible thus far," the FBI said in a statement, adding that election integrity was among the bureau's highest priorities.

At least two polling sites targeted by the hoax bomb threats in Georgia were briefly evacuated.

The two locations, in Fulton County, both re-opened after about 30 minutes, officials said, and the county was seeking a court order to extend the locations' voting hours past the statewide 7pm deadline.

Georgia's secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, blamed Russian interference for the Election Day bomb hoaxes.

"They're up to mischief, it seems. They don't want us to have a smooth, fair and accurate election, and if they can get us to fight among ourselves, they can count that as a victory," Raffensperger told reporters.

The Russian embassy in Washington said insinuations about Russian interference were "malicious slander."

"We would like to emphasize that Russia has not interfered and does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, including the United States," the embassy said in a statement. "As President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stressed, we respect the will of the American people."

Ann Jacobs, head of the Wisconsin Elections Commission, said fake bomb threats were sent to two polling locations in the state capital of Madison, but they did not disrupt voting.

A spokesperson for Jocelyn Benson, Michigan's Democratic secretary of state, said there had been reports of bomb threats at several polling locations, but none were credible.

Benson's office had been notified that the threats may be tied to Russia, the spokesperson said.

An FBI official said Georgia received more than two dozen threats, most of which occurred in Fulton County, which encompasses much of Atlanta, a Democratic stronghold.

Police in DeKalb County, Georgia - another Democratic stronghold - later responded to bomb threats at eight locations, according to a county press release. Six of the locations were polling places and were evacuated. County officials were seeking an emergency order extending opening times at the voting sites.

DeKalb County police later said no bombs were found at the six voting sites.

ALSO READ: