The Willowbank Building in Bellefonte, which houses Centre County’s Elections Office and one of its mail ballot counting centers, was temporarily evacuated on Tuesday night because of a bomb threat that was determined to be “non-credible.”

The threat was made in an email to the Elections Office shortly before polls closed on election night, according to a statement from Centre County government. The building was evacuated at around 7:15 p.m. and employees were permitted to return inside to resume operations about an hour later.

After investigating the threat and sweeping the building, state and local police determined it was not credible.

“The Elections Office and ballots were under constant supervision while the building was swept,” County Administrator John Franek Jr. said.

While the building was closed, elections staff remained on hand to accept mail ballots being delivered in person. The county also received a court order allowing it to continue to accept mail ballots until 9 p.m., one hour after the standard deadline, because of the disruption.

About a dozen counties in Pennsylvania received similar threats on Tuesday night, including Blair, Cameron, and Clearfield in central Pennsylvania and Chester in southeastern Pennsylvania.

About the Author

Geoff Rushton (StateCollege.com)

Geoff Rushton is managing editor for StateCollege.com. Contact him at geoff.rushton@statecollege.com or find him on Twitter at @geoffrushton.

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