Russian bomb threats against polling stations in Atlanta, according to State Secretary

Russian bomb threats against polling stations in Atlanta, according to State Secretary

Several non -credible bomb threats that temporarily Electoral office that have disturbed two locations in Georgia come from Russia. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger told reporters on Tuesday.

Russian origin of the threats

"We have heard some threats that were of Russian origin. I cannot say that they are credible - we do not think they are, but in the interest of public security we always check it. And we will continue to act very responsibly if we learn about such things," said Raffensperger. "We identified the source and it was from Russia."

Intention behind the threats

"It seems as if they want to create unrest, and they don't want us to have a smooth, fair and precise choice," he added. "Everything that leads to fighting against each other - they can book that as a victory." Raffensperger, a Republican, did not go into more detail on how the state authorities could see that the bomb threats came from Russia.

Influence on local elections

The non -credible threats led to temporary closure of the polling stations In the Etris Community Center and at the Gullatt Elementary School in Union City, very close to Atlanta, according to Fulton County's police. According to the US Census Bureau, Union City has a population that is too 90 % African -American.

Expansion of election times

Due to the disorder, the district plans to extend the election periods, says Nadine Williams, the director of registration and elections in Fulton County.

FBI expressions for the threats

An explanation of the FBI reported that the threats were aware of, but no information about their origin. "The integrity of the elections and the protection of our community has a top priority for us. The FBI works closely with the state and local law enforcement authorities to react to voting threats and to protect our communities while the Americans exercise their right to vote," the FBI explained in a statement. The statement also said that the Bureau had no information that indicated that the threat was credible.

Experiences of a voter

A voter, Michael Osborne, said he immediately found something wrong when he arrived at his polling station in Union City on Tuesday morning and saw ambulances and police vehicles around the building. An official informed him and other voters that they could not enter the polling station due to a bomb threat. "They had to remove all employees and you couldn't let anyone in until the threats were rated," said Osborne.

Waiting time and disorders

Osborne reported that the delay in the Etris Community Center was about an hour and the voters were forced to wait outside until the officials cleared the building. "Three voters were in the middle of voting when it happened, and about 25 people were in line," said Evette Reyes election observer.

This report was supported by CNN reporters Isabel Rosales, Mounira Elsamra and Denise Royal.