Emailed threats targeting polling locations across seven New Jersey counties forced brief closures and relocations as voters began casting ballots on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, officials said, with authorities later determining the messages were hoaxes. Law enforcement carried out security checks, including K-9 sweeps, and cleared sites before reopening them, while local officials described the emails as attempts at intimidation meant to undermine the vote.
The threats were reported in Bergen, Essex, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth and Passaic counties as well as in the city of Paterson, where Mayor Andre Sayegh said some of the warnings appeared to originate from outside the country. Law enforcement responded to multiple locations, running searches and temporarily closing some polling places or relocating voters until sites were declared safe. In Hackensack, officials said a site that had been checked and cleared was reopened by 7:33 a.m. Passaic County officials reported receiving three separate threats and redirected affected voters to provisional ballots or to nearby locations to complete their voting.
Officials characterized the emailed warnings as intimidation attempts designed to disrupt turnout and erode confidence in the integrity of the voting process. State and local authorities moved to secure the affected polling places and to reassure residents that voting could continue at cleared sites. Voters were urged to keep confidence in the process and to report any suspicious activity to the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness or to call 911.
The disruptions came as New Jersey voters began casting ballots in a closely watched governor’s race. The incidents also echoed threats and hoaxes that affected Election Day operations in the state the previous year. Officials noted that several of the counties touched by Tuesday’s emailed warnings had recently received Department of Justice monitors last month, a measure taken amid ongoing federal attention to election administration in certain jurisdictions.
Law enforcement tactics at the affected sites included K-9 sweeps and security clearances before polling places were allowed to resume operations. In some instances, voters were redirected to alternate locations or provided provisional ballots to ensure they could exercise their right to vote while sites underwent safety checks. Authorities later assessed the emailed warnings and deemed them hoaxes, a determination officials said reduced the immediate risk to in-person voting.
State and county election officials emphasized the goal of maintaining safe, accessible voting through the day. They encouraged voters who encountered delays or relocations to remain patient and to seek assistance from poll workers or election staff assigned to the sites. Election officials and public safety authorities also reiterated the importance of reporting any concerning communications or behavior so security resources could be deployed and sites secured promptly.
Tuesday’s events underscored continued attention to election security in New Jersey and the challenges election authorities face in balancing rapid responses to potential threats with the need to keep polling places accessible to voters. With authorities having cleared and reopened affected locations and having labeled the emailed warnings hoaxes, officials sought to shift focus back to the voting underway and to the conduct of the gubernatorial contest as the work of securing polling places continued through the day.