At least 41 voting sites in three states – New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania – received bomb threats on election day in November 2025. Distinct methods of delivery suggest at least three independent operations, each targeting multiple polling places. This report draws on insights from conversations with analysts who spoke with election officials.
Why does it matter for elections?
- Almost all targets were polling places in schools.
- Disruption was minimal, with most sites remaining open or closing for 10 to 20 minutes. In a few cases, voting was promptly moved to a nearby existing polling site.
- Election officials seem to have been well prepared.
In New Jersey, emails were sent directly to school staff before polls opened. According to local news sources, multiple staff at each site received the email, a likely lesson learned from prior incidents when single-recipient emails went unanswered.
On the other hand, targeting a mix of NJ schools – some open, some closed on election day – may suggest a lack of local knowledge.
The NJ targets showed political patterning, including targeting small towns whose partisan history runs contrary to that of their county. This could suggest an effort to cloak partisanship, suggesting the actor had some political sophistication. Note that targeting is not proof of origin. Threat actors sometimes target their own side to generate sympathy or stir dissension.
In New York City, poll workers themselves received the emails between 6:00 and 9:30 AM, sent “through the Board of Elections email system,” according to multiple reports. Polling places in three neighborhoods were targeted.
In Upstate New York, threats against polling places were received by at least six county election offices, via email or the contact form on their website. Election administrators chose not to close polling places or notify the media. (Our knowledge of these incidents comes from private conversations.) These threats had almost no impact beyond unsettling people who were aware of them.
For details on bomb threat defense, assessment, and response, review the resources highlighted below in the Resource Library section of this newsletter.
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