Ten Arizona Counties Hit by Russian Hoax Bomb Threats on Election Day

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes announced on Tuesday that an estimated two-thirds of Arizona’s counties received bomb threats on Election Day, a significant increase from earlier reports.

The FBI confirmed that the threats, originating from Russian email domains, targeted specific polling locations in several states, including Arizona. Fortunately, none of the threats were deemed credible.

During a roundtable with journalists, Mayes explained that 10 of the state’s 15 counties were affected. A county supervisor from La Paz County personally contacted her after receiving a threat.

The counties impacted included Cochise, Coconino, Gila, La Paz, Maricopa, Navajo, Pima, Pinal, Yavapai, and Yuma. “It is a really troubling sign of where we are as a country,” Mayes remarked, highlighting the disruptive nature of these incidents.

While Mayes noted that the threats did not significantly affect the overall election process, evacuations were necessary in many areas. Notably, officials in La Paz County evacuated just as ballots were arriving for tabulation on Election Night.

Mayes stated that local law enforcement managed the situation in real-time, with assistance from Arizona’s Counter Terrorism Information Center. Other states faced even more severe situations, with Georgia reporting over 60 bomb threats, many of which targeted predominantly Democratic regions according to an analysis by NBC News.

In response to the threats, the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office indicated it had no further information to provide. Meanwhile, Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer was seen evacuating his office due to one of the threats, though the election proceeded relatively smoothly across the country.