Voting at two polling locations in Georgia was briefly interrupted Tuesday morning due to non-credible bomb threats, according to Fulton County officials, who now seek a court order to extend voting hours at the affected sites.
Five bomb threats were reported, prompting a 30-minute evacuation at C.H. Gullatt Elementary and Etris Community Center in Union City, southwest of Atlanta, said Nadine Williams, Fulton County’s registration and elections director.
“Thankfully, these locations are now operational again and all polling sites are secure with an active security presence,” Williams assured in a press briefing, as reported by CNN.
Fulton County School Police were alerted to possible bomb threats targeting schools around 8:15 a.m., according to South Fulton Police Department spokesperson Tori Cooper.
Although students were off for Election Day, officers conducted precautionary checks, finding no credible threats.
Margaret Huang, president and CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center, commended Fulton County’s prompt action, stating, “We don’t want to allow this to disrupt our votes.”