Russia rejects links to bomb scares at polling places in key US states

Russian Embassy successful Washington, DC says insinuations of Moscow’s interference successful US predetermination are ‘malicious slander’.

Moscow has described arsenic “malicious slander” reports that fake weaponry threats directed astatine polling locations successful four battleground states successful the United States predetermination – Georgia, Michigan, Arizona and Wisconsin – originated from Russian email domains and were portion of an interference operation.

At slightest 2 polling sites targeted by the scares successful Georgia were concisely evacuated connected Tuesday.

“None of the threats person been determined to beryllium credible frankincense far,” the US’s Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said successful a statement, noting that galore of the hoax weaponry warnings “appear to originate from Russian email domains”.

An FBI authoritative said that Georgia received much than 2 twelve threats, astir of which occurred successful Fulton County, which encompasses overmuch of Atlanta, a Democratic Party stronghold.

The threats led to 2 polling locations successful Fulton County, Georgia, being evacuated. Both locations re-opened aft astir 30 minutes, officials said, and the region was seeking a tribunal bid to widen the location’s voting hours past the state-wide 7pm (00:00 GMT) deadline for closing.

The FBI is alert of weaponry threats to polling locations successful respective states, galore of which look to originate from Russian email domains. None of the threats person been determined to beryllium credible frankincense far. https://t.co/j3YfajVK1m

— FBI (@FBI) November 5, 2024

Bomb threats were besides sent to 2 polling locations successful Wisconsin’s authorities superior Madison, but did not disrupt voting, the caput of the Wisconsin Elections Commission, Ann Jacobs said.

A spokesperson for Jocelyn Benson, Michigan’s Democratic caput of state, said determination had been reports of weaponry threats astatine respective polling locations, but nary was credible. Benson’s bureau had been notified that the threats whitethorn beryllium tied to Russia, the spokesperson said.

Adrian Fontes, a Democrat and Arizona’s caput of state, the main predetermination authoritative successful the plaything state, said 4 fake weaponry threats had besides been delivered to polling sites successful Navajo County, Arizona.

Georgia’s Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger laid the blasted straight connected Russia.

“They’re up to mischief, it seems. They don’t privation america to person a smooth, just and close election, and if they tin get america to combat among ourselves, they tin number that arsenic a victory,” Raffensperger told reporters.

The Russian Embassy successful Washington, DC said insinuations astir Russian interference successful the predetermination were “malicious slander”.

“We would similar to emphasise that Russia has not interfered and does not interfere successful the interior affairs of different countries, including the United States. As President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stressed, we respect the volition of the American people,” the embassy said.

US quality officials person accused Russia of interfering successful erstwhile US statesmanlike elections, particularly done cyber-operations successful the 2016 contention which the existent Republican statesmanlike candidate, Donald Trump, won against Democratic campaigner Hillary Clinton.

The US aboriginal indicted 12 Russian subject quality officers for their alleged roles successful interfering successful the 2016 election.

A elder US cyber authoritative said her bureau had not seen immoderate important incidents connected this Election Day.

Cait Conley, of the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, told reporters determination had been small grounds of important disruption to predetermination infrastructure.

“At this point, we are not presently tracking immoderate nationalist level important incidents impacting information of our predetermination infrastructure,” said Conley, whose bureau is liable for protecting captious American infrastructure, including predetermination infrastructure.

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Al Jazeera and quality agencies