US Election: Suspect arrested with torch and flare gun; Voting affected in Georgia due to bomb threat

United States Capitol Police on Tuesday arrested a man who smelled like fuel and was carrying a torch and a flare gun. US Capitol Police said the Capitol Visitor Center has been closed for the time being and further investigation is underway.

Security beefed up at several places in Washington DC

The incident came as millions of Americans queued up at polling stations across the country to vote for the 2024 US presidential election. Earlier, security has been beefed up at several places in Washington DC in preparation for potential civil unrest. Heavy fencing, including anti-climb barriers, was installed at the White House, the US Capitol and Vice President Kamala Harris’ residence.

Voting halted in Georgia due to fake bomb threat

At least two polling stations in the key electoral state of Georgia were briefly evacuated on Tuesday due to fake bomb threats. State election officials have blamed Russian agents for the threats. These threats were later found to be false, leading to the evacuation of two polling stations in Fulton County, Georgia. Both centers reopened after about 30 minutes. The county has applied to the court to extend the voting time of these places beyond the state’s 7 pm deadline. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said Russian interference was behind the bomb threats on Election Day.

Preparations made to avoid potential violence

Many establishments near the White House and Capitol Hill had boards on their windows in the hope of avoiding vandalism. In fact, in 2021, a mob stormed the US Capitol on January 6, which was to confirm Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election against Donald Trump. On that day, hundreds of Trump supporters attacked the Capitol Police, broke into the building and vandalized it, killing three police officers and three rioters. The attack was allegedly aimed at preventing Biden from taking office and was seen as an insurrection, with the Federal Bureau of Investigation terming it ‘domestic terrorism’.

Donald Trump was impeached

Donald Trump, who allegedly urged his supporters to march to the Capitol that day, was impeached by the House for inciting the rebellion, but was later acquitted by the Senate. Last month, the former US president dismissed the charges against him, claiming that he had spoken in a peaceful and patriotic manner, and that he had not made any call for violence. He also blamed Democrat Nancy Pelosi for not increasing security at the Capitol.