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This story has been updated.
Voting in several Maine towns continued Tuesday despite more than a dozen schools, including at least five that serve as polling places, going into lockdown over false reports of a live shooter.
In response to various crisis lines receiving threats Tuesday morning of armed individuals on multiple school campuses around the state, the Maine State Police issued a statement saying the reports are not credible.
According to spokesperson Shannon Moss, the state police “are working with our various partners and can confirm these initial calls were swatting incidents intended to provoke an emergency response.”
The Maine Secretary of State’s office confirmed that voting itself was not interrupted, although in South Portland there was a temporary pause on people going in and out of the building.
“These criminals were trying to interrupt our election and thanks to the smart work and preparation of our law enforcement and election officials, voting has continued and the hoaxes did not succeed,” said Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows.
Maine Secretary of State spokesperson Emily Cook underscored that there was “never any danger to the public” but that “people should make sure if they haven’t already voted to get out and do it now,” saying the hoax was meant to deter people from voting.
Cook said other than this, “it’s been a very smooth day” with strong turnout across the state.
Moss also said there is “presently no known threat to the students, staff or public at this time.”
“The Department of Public Safety encourages law enforcement and school leadership to continue to use due diligence when reviewing any new potential threats.”
Ahead of Election Day, Bellow’s office conducted a statewide briefing for law enforcement about what to expect Tuesday and the laws at the polling places.
The Maine State Police is fully prepared to respond and provide support to election workers across the state if needed, but local communities manage their own preparations, Moss said.
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