Georgia county trying to extend voting hours after polling centers hit with bomb threats

DeKalb County, Georgia is trying to extend local voting hours after several polling locations were targeted with bomb threats, local officials said Tuesday evening.

The threats come just hours after two voting centers in nearby Fulton County were forced to temporarily close due to similar threats.Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger during a news conference Tuesday the Fulton County threats were deemednon-credible and originated in Russia.

The DeKalb County Office of Voter Registration & Elections reported Tuesday evening five of its polling locations received bomb threats. The local police department is performing bomb sweeps at those locations, and voters will be allowed to re-enter the buildings once police deem the locations are safe, the office said in a statement.

"Rest assured that we are working quickly to ensure every voter will have an opportunity to cast their ballot despite these bomb threats," Keisha Smith, the executive director of theDeKalb County Office of Voter Registration & Elections, said.

Officials say they are seeking "an emergency order extending the voting times at the affected polling locations."

BothFulton County and DeKalb County are located in the Atlanta metropolitan area. They are the first and fourth-most populous counties in the state, respectively. Polls were originally slated to close at7:00 p.m. ET.