The Russian Bomb Threats

And a Remedy to Defend Democracy

Russia has tried to alter the outcome of an American election on election day. This must be addressed immediately. Regardless of who wins this presidential election, the precedent of a foreign country targeting American polling places with bomb threats cannot be allowed to stand.

I worry that, as we have done in previous elections, we tend to minimize or dismiss the actions of foreign countries.  An attempt to intimidate American voters from a foreign country is an outrage and should be treated as such. It is also a policy problem that must be resolved.

I am concerned that the problem was broader than we understand.  It appears that Russia communicated bomb threats to polling stations in five states: Georgia, Michigan, Arizona, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.  We are talking about dozens of actions, all in all. I don't think the details of all of these threats have yet been reported, let alone assimilated.

In Fulton County, Georgia, no fewer than thirty-two polling stations had to deal with bomb threats.  We know that five polling stations in Dekalb County, Georgia, were targeted by bomb threats. 

Wisconsin and Michigan each had to deal with multiple bomb threats. We know that a polling place in West Chester, Pennsylvania was evacuated, and that another threat targeted Clearfield County, Pennsylvania.  In Arizona, four sites in Navajo County were targeted.  Presumably there was more and we will learn more.

In some of these cases, there was consideration disruption.  We do not know how many people left lines and did not return.  We do not know how many people were frightened away from voting.  The only way to find out is to provide an adequate remedy.  Some polling stations were kept open a bit longer. 

It seems to me that, in every county where this happened, the vote should be extended by a full day, through Wednesday.  Perhaps this can arranged by a lawsuit -- I leave the means to the experts.  But an additional day of voting is a way to ensure that justice is done.  It is also the only way to assure Americans, going forward, that a foreign country did not alter the outcome of the vote.

And it will also be necessary to deter actions like this in the future.  If something as simple as bomb threats can work to disrupt an American election, Russia or other actors will presumably do the same thing again.  The only way to deter this is to show that it does not work, and that the rights of Americans will be defended.