Bomb Threats At NJ Polling Stations Connected To Russian Email Address

Several polling stations in Passaic County shut down for hours Tuesday morning after a bomb threat traced to a Russian email address triggered a police response.

The FBI said Wednesday it is investigating bomb threats targeting polling sites in multiple states, many traced to Russian email domains, though none have been deemed credible. The bureau pointed out that safeguarding election integrity remains a top priority and pledged to keep coordinating with state and local authorities to protect voters.

“The FBI is aware of bomb threats to polling locations in several states, many of which appear to originate from Russian email domains. None of the threats have been determined to be credible thus far,” the statement said.

Authorities arrested a juvenile Tuesday after a series of hoax bomb threats were sent. Investigators quickly traced the messages, recovered the electronic devices used, and confirmed the threats were false, though it remains unclear whether the suspect is tied to other threats across the state.

The suspect reportedly emailed a manifesto to Kenneth Hirmann of the Passaic County Board of Elections, saying that a pipe bomb had been planted near the voting booths and would detonate in 11 hours. The message contained detailed schematics of the alleged device and an explanation of the motive.

An officer responding to Martin Luther King Jr. School No. 6 in Passaic for a reported bomb threat learned of the specific Russian-linked email. Police searched the building inside and out but found no device. Similar threats forced evacuations at Paterson Public School No. 2 and School No. 10, both serving as polling sites, though no explosives were discovered at either location.

A state judge ordered polls in several Passaic County schools to stay open an extra hour Tuesday night after bomb threats. The ruling came after Democrats sued for an extension, saying voters had been prevented from casting ballots during the disruptions.