A bomb threat reported at a Louisiana polling location has led to a change of venue and increased security, according to the secretary of state.
Louisana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin announced the change of the polling location from the Kenner Discovery Health Sciences Academy on Loyola Drive in Baton Rouge to Audubon Elementary School on Tuesday.
“I am exceedingly grateful to Kenner Chief of Police Keith Conley and Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joe Lopinto for their prompt response and thorough investigation, which appears to show that this was never targeted toward voters or election workers. I also applaud our department’s elections staff and Jefferson Parish Clerk of Court Jon Gegenheimer for this quick response to move the location and inform voters of the emergency move,” Ardoin said in a statement.
Personnel have been stationed at the original location to direct voters to the new venue. Voters signed up for electronic notifications were notified by email.
“It was not a threat to elections, voters or election workers,” John Tobler, a spokesman for the Louisiana secretary of state, said, according to Fox News.
The Kenner Discovery Health Sciences Academy was closed due to Election Day and was being used as a polling site. The bomb threat could be related to an earlier threat received on Thursday, according to the Kenner Police Department’s Twitter account.
“Kenner Police are on scene investigating and trying to determine if this will be related to a bomb threat the school received on Thursday, November 3, 2022,” the account tweeted.
‼️ Kenner Discovery School received a bomb threat earlier this morning. Kenner Police are on scene investigating and trying to determine if this will be related to a bomb threat the school received on Thursday, November 3, 2022. ‼️ pic.twitter.com/A1q9ZxzbAS
— Kenner PD (@KennerPolice) November 8, 2022
In the previous threat, all students and staff were evacuated from campus.
“All middle and high school students have evacuated the Kenner Discovery Health Sciences Academy Loyola and Vintage campuses due to an electronic bomb threat called into the high school demanding bitcoin payment. The Kenner Police and Fire Departments are searching the buildings,” the school’s Chief Executive Officer Dr. Patty Glaser said in a statement following the incident.
“Middle and High school students have been safely evacuated and their transport home arranged. Teachers and staff are also out of the buildings,” she added. No bomb was found.
All voting booths have been moved to Audubon Elementary and no interruption to voting is expected, Jefferson Parish Clerk of Court John Gegenheimer told 4WWL-TV Louisiana. The new location is less than two miles from the original site.
Voting at Kenner Discovery for Precinct K007A & K007B is now located at Audubon Elementary (200 West Loyola Dr. in Kenner). Voters with questions about their polling location should call the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Election Hotline at 800-883-2805
— Jefferson Parish (@JeffParishGov) November 8, 2022
The bomb threat comes amid growing concerns of potential violence during the midterm elections. The elections are predicted to lead to a win for Republicans seeking power in the House of Representatives and a close battle for the Senate following two years of Democratic leadership in both chambers under the Biden administration.
