WEST CHESTER, Pa. — The Chester County Government Services Center was evacuated Tuesday evening following a bomb threat sent via email to Chester County Voter Services. Authorities quickly determined the threat mirrored similar emails received in multiple counties across Pennsylvania and the nation, prompting an immediate response from Chester County Emergency Officials.
County officials followed established safety protocols, prioritizing the safety of employees and citizens. The Chester County Sheriff’s Office K9 Unit conducted a thorough sweep of the building, but no explosives were found, allowing the building to reopen shortly afterward. The incident is currently under investigation by both local and federal law enforcement agencies.
In response to the threat, a Chester County court order temporarily redirected voters from two precincts that typically cast ballots within the Government Services Center. Voters from Precinct 280 (West Goshen S-2) and Precinct 286 (West Goshen S-4) were instead directed to neighboring polling locations. Those voters were allowed to cast ballots at Precinct 275, located at the West Chester Seventh-day Adventist Church, or Precinct 285 at Glen Acres Elementary School. To accommodate the disruption, voting hours at these locations were extended until 10:00 p.m.
Despite the evacuation and redirection of voters, officials confirmed that the incident did not disrupt the reporting of Chester County election results. The processing of mail-in ballots continued at a separate location, unaffected by the events at the Government Services Center. Additionally, delivery of polling place results to the center by Judges of Elections proceeded as scheduled.
Law enforcement officials have not released additional details regarding the source of the email threat but are working with federal agencies to investigate the coordinated nature of the threats across multiple jurisdictions.
