Voting hours extended to 10 p.m. in 2 Chester County polling places due to bomb threat: officials

WEST CHESTER, Pa. - The Government Services Center in Chester County was evacuated Tuesday after officials say there was a bomb threat. 

Chester County Commissioners, Board of Elections Chair Josh Maxwell, tweeted to X, formerly known as Twitter, that there was a bomb threat to the Government Services Center in West Chester, PA.

According to Maxwell, Voter Services is located inside the services center.

The Government Services Center in Chester County was being searched by dogs Tuesday night.

In a press conference regarding the bomb threats, Governor Josh Shapiro said ‘there is no credible threat to the public.’

Chester County election officials have redirected voters who vote at the two polling places located at the Government Services Center to nearby polling places where they will be able to cast their votes provisionally.

Late Tuesday night, Chester County District Attorney's office sent a press release regarding the incidents. 

In the press release, officials say there was an email sent out to Chester County Voter Services earlier Tuesday evening announcing a bomb threat at the Chester County Government Services Center.  It was later learned that the email mirrored bomb threats sent to other counties in Pennsylvania and across the United States.

Following a routine evacuation and sweep for bombs via a K9 unit, there were no signs of any bomb and the building was reopened. 

The voting hours for the two neighboring polling places were extended to 10:00 p.m. for those voters only, Chester County officials say. 

Voters who were supposed to cast ballots at Precincts 280 (West Goshen S-2) and Precinct 286 (West Goshen S-4) were redirected to Precinct 275 (West Goshen S-1) located at West Chester 7th Day Adventist Church or Precinct 285 (West Goshen S-3) located at Glen Acres Elementary School. 

Officials say the reporting of Chester County Election results was not impacted by this incident as the processing of mail-in-ballots occurred at a different location.

 "All polling place results arriving at the Government Services Center, delivered by Judges of Elections, proceeded as planned at the Government Services Center," the statement from the DA's Office read. 

The threat itself is being investigated by local and federal law enforcement.