close
close

leadingticklescanada

Real-time news, timeless knowledge

Homeland Security alert sent same day as Oregon ballot box attacks
bigrus

Homeland Security alert sent same day as Oregon ballot box attacks

same day Two ballot boxes were attacked In Vancouver, Washington, and Portland, Oregon, the Department of Homeland Security sent out a bulletin alerting law enforcement officials about threats of violence based on misinformation and disinformation related to election fraud to election officials, certain groups of people, and election infrastructure.

The bulletin, obtained by ABC News, warns that “threat actors” are using false claims of election fraud to incite violence.

“Some individuals online, many in forums frequented by violent extremists (EDEs), post threats of violence against election officials or infrastructure to prevent or retaliate against perceived fraud,” the bulletin said.

The misinformation and disinformation on which these threats are based are linked to “historical narratives of election fraud associated with the use of mail-in ballots or electronic voting machines.”

Oregon and Washington are two of eight states where all elections are conducted by mail.

“Some individuals motivated by this narrative have stated that they wish to intimidate voters or election personnel online by surveilling election infrastructure or personnel, including armed individuals. Some of these online users have encouraged violence against ideological opponents through mail-in mailings. Others have attempted to sabotage polling places.” “while others were promoting methods to sabotage ballot boxes,” the bulletin says.

Threats are also reported to be directed at immigrants and other specific groups of people.

“People in these online forums claimed that the vote count was falsely inflated by certain groups of people — focusing primarily on undocumented immigrants and, to a lesser extent, convicted felons and people voting in place of a deceased relative — and advocated violence against these groups,” the newsletter reads.