Georgia county is trying to extend voting hours after polling places were hit by bomb threats

DECATUR, Ga. (TNND) — DeKalb County, Georgia, is seeking to extend local voting hours after several polling places fell victim to bomb threats, local officials said Tuesday evening.

The threats come just hours after two vote centers in nearby Fulton County were forced to temporarily close due to similar threats. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said during a news conference Tuesday that the threats in Fulton County were deemed unreliable and originated in Russia.

The DeKalb County Office of Voter Registration & Elections reported Tuesday evening that five of its polling locations had received bomb threats. Local police are conducting bomb disposal operations at these sites and voters will be allowed back into the buildings once police deem the sites safe, the office said in a statement.

“Rest assured that we are working quickly to ensure that every voter has the opportunity to cast their ballot despite these bomb threats,” said Keisha Smith, executive director of the DeKalb County Office of Voter Registration & Elections.

Officials say they are seeking “an emergency order to extend voting hours at affected polling stations.”

Both Fulton County and DeKalb County are in the Atlanta metropolitan area. They are the first and fourth most populous counties in the state, respectively. Polls were originally scheduled to close at 7:00 p.m. ET.

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