By Clara Harter
Registrars of voters’ offices in Orange and Riverside counties were evacuated Friday evening after receiving bomb threats, but no explosives were located at either site, authorities said.
All staff 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 site and coordinated evacuating the building at 1300 S. Grand Ave.
Bomb detection dogs were used to search the entire building, and no explosives were found.
“The Orange County Registrar of Voters is committed 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 diligently to address this incident and keep all staff and members of the public who visit our office safe.”
A similar unfounded threat was also received by the Riverside County Registrar of Voters on Friday evening at its office in Riverside.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department was immediately notified, and members of the public and staff were evacuated from the site at 2720 Gateway Drive within five minutes. Sheriff’s deputies and bomb squad members conducted a thorough search and found no explosives, according to the registrar.
“The county of Riverside Registrar of Voters remains committed to the safety of the public and our staff,” officials said in a statement. “We continue to prioritize transparency and encourage the public to observe all processes as we ensure a fair, accurate and transparent election.”
On election day, fake bomb threats were made at dozens of polling locations in swing states such as Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan and Arizona, but none were found to be credible.
