Nationwide, the election was orderly despite Russian bomb threats

Nationwide, the election was orderly despite Russian bomb threats

Tens of thousands of American voters headed to the polls Tuesday to elect the country's next leaders. According to official sources, the process went smoothly, despite disruptions caused by non-credible bomb threats from Russia and adverse weather.

Bomb threats in Michigan and Georgia

Multiple bomb threats caused delays at some polling places in Michigan and Georgia as security forces cleared the sites. The FBI noted that the threats “appear to come from Russian email domains.” So far, none of the threats have been deemed credible.

Important challenges in the election

As with all elections, questions about voter eligibility, logistical issues, ballot functionality and vote counting will be closely watched this Tuesday, particularly in light of former President Donald Trump's false claims of massive voter fraud.

Weather conditions and infrastructure problems

Extreme weather conditions and other “temporary infrastructure disruptions” were reported in parts of the United States by late morning. Cait Conley, a senior adviser at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, explained that, however, there have been no significant incidents at the national level that would compromise the security of our election infrastructure. The problems so far are “largely expected, routine and planned events,” Conley added.

Impact on polling stations

The non-credible threats at polling places in Georgia and Michigan have been the most significant problems so far. In Union City, Georgia, near Atlanta, there were multiple non-credible bomb threats that led to the temporary closure of two polling places, according to Nadine Williams, Fulton County's director of registration and elections.

Evacuations and weather warnings

A polling place in Gwinnett County, Georgia, also had to be evacuated for about an hour after police said there was a bomb threat, according to Gwinnett County police. Authorities in Michigan also received threats against polling places that were initially deemed "serious" but were not deemed credible after law enforcement investigations, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel told CNN.

Additionally, poor weather in the Midwest could pose challenges for voters. A flood warning was in effect for about 4 million people in Missouri, Arkansas and Illinois until at least 12 p.m. CT, as persistent and heavy rain since Monday has flooded streets and caused thousands of power outages.