NJ Election Day bomb threats shut down polling sites in 7 key counties, while some NYC sites threatened, too

Several New Jersey polling sites were closed and the voting locations moved on bomb threats, including in heavily Republican areas, while some New York City ballot centers were threatened, too, officials said.

Law-enforcement agencies in the Garden State were tipped off about threats made to polling locations across Bergen, Essex, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean and Passaic counties Tuesday morning, according to the state Office of the Attorney General.

“Law enforcement officers have responded at each affected polling place, and they have worked swiftly to secure these polling locations and ensure the safety of every voter,” the AG’s Office said in a statement.

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“Some of these polling locations have already reopened to the public. At others, voters will be directed to a nearby polling location to cast their ballot,” the office added.

The threats temporarily shut down polling sites at three schools in the West Orange School District, briefly booting students, staffers and voters from the buildings Tuesday morning.

Local cops and the Essex County Bomb Squad were called to the Washington, Gregory and Hazel elementary schools, Superintendent Hayden Moore said in an email to parents.

“The district became aware of the potential bomb threats earlier this morning and while classes had yet to begin,” Moore said. “To err on the side of safety, the buildings were evacuated of voters, students and staff until the buildings were declared safe and the threat was deemed not credible.”

Meanwhile, several Big Apple polling sites were hit with threats, including in emails to poll workers at one Harlem location, according to law-enforcement sources.

The NYPD and the FBI are investigating those incidents.

The city threats come amid a tense mayoral race between socialist Democrat Zohran Mamdani, the frontrunner, and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent.

A near-record turnout of nearly 2 million is expected.

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Officials noted that all of the threats made against polling sites so far were not credible.

The New Jersey bomb threats come in the middle of a knife-edge governor’s race, with US Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) in a dead heat with Republican businessman and former state legislator Jack Ciattarelli.

As of Tuesday morning, many of the impacted voting locations have been reopened, including all in Bergen — the state’s most populous county. 

Bergen police had investigated the threats and found all of them to be a hoax, county rep Derek Sands said in a statement, slamming the threats as “malicious, intimidation-driven acts intended to disrupt the democratic process.” 

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Sherrill also condemned the threats as an attack on voters in a critical election, calling on residents to stay strong and head to the polls safely. 

“Obviously this is an attempt to suppress the vote here,” Sherrill told reporters. “I don’t think New Jerseyans take very kindly to that kind of tampering in our election system.”

In areas where the polling places have yet to reopen, workers are in place to direct voters to nearby locations to cast their ballots, Attorney General Matt Platkin said.

Platkin’s office did not respond to The Post’s request for additional comment on the impacted polling sites. 

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In Passaic County — a key swing county — heavy police presence was seen outside School 10, in Paterson, where voters are set to cast their ballots, NJ.com reported. 

“We are taking the threats very seriously and we immediately evacuated the polling sites,” Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh said in a statement. 

“Thanks to the Paterson police department’s patrol operation working in concert with our state and county partners, all polling sites are safe and open for voters,” the mayor added. 

Similar disruptions were reported at schools in Woodbridge and North Brunswick, according to local media. 

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Newark police said they had investigated the threats following the submission of multiple phishing emails regarding the fake bomb threats in Essex county.

In Middlesex County, a minor was arrested in connection to a bomb threat at the Livingston Park Elementary School polling location, Pix11 reported.

The school received the threat via text message at around 8:15 a.m., with officers and explosive detection K-9 officers of the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Department deployed to search the area.

Like with other incidents reported in seven New Jersey counties, police found no credibility to the threat.

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It remains unclear if the juvenile arrested had worked in coordination with the other threats that sprung up at other polling sites.

New Jersey Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way, who serves as the state’s top election official, said voting is being carried on safely as police take top precautions despite the non-credible threats.    

“We are doing everything in our power to protect voters and poll workers and coordinate closely with state, local and federal partners to ensure a smooth and safe election,” Way said in a statement.