Less than two weeks before Election Day, the New York City Police Department warned that polling sites could be targets for violent extremists.
A law enforcement bulletin obtained by CBS News on Thursday said racially and ethnically motivated violent extremists and anti-government extremists “continue to prioritize the targeting of political rallies, voting sites, poll workers, and election officials.”
The NYPD said, however, it is not aware of any specific or credible threat to the city’s polling sites, political candidates or election workers.
The bulletin stated that hostile rhetoric and an abundance of generalized threats from likeminded people in chat groups, and other online forums “may effectively create echo chambers that circulate and reinforce false narratives and establish a permissive environment for violent action against election-related infrastructure and personnel.”
The bulletin urged vigilance ahead of the midterm elections.
Early voting in New York starts on Saturday and will continue through Election Day, which is Nov. 8.
