Registrars of voters offices in Orange and Riverside counties were evacuated Friday evening after receiving bomb threats, but no explosives were found at either location, authorities said.
All employees and members of the public at the Orange County Registrar of Voters were evacuated from the Santa Ana office 15 minutes before the facility was scheduled to stop processing ballots, officials said in a statement. Orange County sheriff's deputies were already on scene and coordinating the evacuation of the building at 1300 S. Grand Ave.
Bomb-sniffing dogs were used to search the entire building, and no explosives were found.
“The Orange County Registrar of Voters is dedicated to ensuring equal access to the election process, protecting the integrity of votes, and maintaining a transparent, accurate and fair election system,” Registrar of Voters Bob Page said in a statement. “We are working hard to deal with this incident and keep all employees and members of the public who come to our office safe.”
The same baseless threat was received by the Registrar of Voters of Riverside County on Friday evening at his office in Riverside.
The Riverside County Sheriff's Department was immediately notified, and members of the public and staff were evacuated from the property at 2720 Gateway Drive within five minutes. Sheriff's deputies and members of the bomb squad conducted a thorough search and found no explosives, according to the registrar.
“The Riverside District Registrar of Voters remains committed to the safety of the public and our employees,” officials said in a statement. “We continue to prioritize transparency and encourage the public to monitor all processes as we ensure a fair, accurate and transparent election.”
On election day, fake bomb threats were made at many polling places in up-and-coming states like Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan and Arizona, but none were found to be credible.
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