Alleged Russian Interference in 2024 U.S. Election

Polling locations across several battleground states received bomb threats from Russia on Election Day. (Free Malaysia Today)

Polling locations across the United States received bomb threats allegedly originating from Russian  email domains on Election Day, with centers across the battleground states of Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin receiving threats, as per the FBI. The agency later issued a statement clarifying that none of these threats were found to be credible.

In a statement to the press, Jen Easterly, director of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, reiterated that there was no evidence of the threats “impacting the security or integrity of election infrastructure.” Moreover, while labeling the threats an “outrageous” attack on the election, she stated that she believed “no cheating” had occurred.

An investigation by NBC found that a majority of the threats were directed at Democratic counties that voted for Joe Biden in 2020. However, several counties that voted for Donald Trump by a significant margin were also affected.

In Georgia, polling stations in Fulton and DeKalb Counties, both Democratic-leaning areas, were notably disrupted. Al Jazeera reported that in Fulton County, 32 out of the county’s 177 polling stations were targeted, leading to the evacuation of five locations. In DeKalb County, seven polling sites received bomb threats, which led to an extension of voting hours in several precincts, per the New York Times. Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger later stated that more than 60 bomb threats had been issued across the state.

Other states reported comparable threats. According to the Utah News Dispatch, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes informed reporters that ten of the state’s fifteen counties had been impacted. Officials in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin also confirmed similar incidents, with all threats ultimately being deemed unsubstantiated, per ABC.

The Russian Embassy of Washington D.C. characterized the allegations as “malicious slander” in an official press statement, referring to them as an “...unfortunate tradition: before every election, American authorities and media descend into hysteria about ‘Russian disinformation and interference’... .” It emphasized that “Russia has not and does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries.”

This is not the first time that there have been allegations of Russian interference in U.S. elections. The Senate Intelligence Committee’s 2020 report on Russian interference confirmed that Russia used disinformation campaigns to manipulate the electorate during the 2016 election; similarly, concerns regarding Russian interference arose during the 2020 election, with some alleging that Russia supported Trump’s reelection bid, according to the New York Times.

These accusations are not limited to the United States. Russia is currently facing similar claims in Moldova, where the government has protested Moscow’s “deliberate interference” in its presidential election, reported Al Jazeera. Additionally, TVP World notes that allegations of Russian meddling in Georgia’s October 26 general election, which saw a victory for the pro-Russia Georgian Dream party, sparked a recent protest.