Election security: Officials say 2024 election saw only 'minor' disruptive activities

Voting hours were extended at a number of polling sites due to technical issues.

From the polling place to the courtroom, ABC News tracks the latest election security developments on Election Day 2024 as experts warn about the spread of misinformation and disinformation from within the U.S. and abroad.

Security experts stress that the nation's voting infrastructure is highly secure, and that isolated voting issues do not indicate widespread election fraud.

For coverage of each race, see our election updates.

Nov 4, 10:33 am

How to watch ABC News coverage of Election Day

On Election Day, voters around the country will eagerly wait to hear if former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris comes out on top in the race for the White House.

ABC News will have full coverage of the presidential election results and many other key down-ballot races on Election Day and the days afterward as votes continue to get counted.

Here's how to watch ABC News live coverage of 2024 election results.

Nov 05, 2024, 10:15 PM EST

Milwaukee calls in reinforcements to help process ballots

Milwaukee has called in reinforcements from other parts of the city government to help process ballots as it works through a backlog of 31,000 absentee ballots.

Ballots are stacked on a table at the central count in Baird center, during the 2024 U.S. presidential election, in Milwaukee, Wis., Nov. 5, 2024.
Vincent Alban/Reuters

Approximately 40 city employees -- including firefighters, health employees, IT experts and librarians -- are assisting with the count of absentee ballots, according to a city official.

The absentee ballots are being retabulated after a door to several tabulators was not properly sealed due to human error, the Milwaukee mayor's office said.

As the counting continues, some Republicans have descended on the Baird Convention Center to ask about how this mistake happened.

"This seems like a real mess," Sen. Ron Johnson said.

Johnson said he showed up at the polling location to "ask questions" and "restore confidence" in the results. He said he believes the city was unprepared for the election.

Johnson was joined by GOP Chair Brian Schimming, who summed up the incident in a few words: "You had one job."

The Milwaukee Election Commission earlier said that the city "has no doubt regarding the integrity of the election."

"However, in order to eliminate any doubt to be fully transparent, the MEC has decided to start the tabulation process over for all ballots at Central Count. This decision was made in consultation with both Republican and Democratic officials," the commission said.

Nov 05, 2024, 9:47 PM EST

Georgia sees record turnout despite bomb threats

Georgia saw record turnout on Tuesday after a spate of non-credible bomb threats flooded state election offices, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said.

People wait in line to vote at a polling station in Smyrna, Georgia, on Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024.
Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP via Getty Images

There were 1.22 million voters on Election Day voters, a record in the state, Raffensperger said.

Asked whether the bomb threats had any impact on voter turnout or the performance of election officials, Raffensperger said, "None. We worked through it. Battle-tested."

"That just shows you the resilience of our system and our people," he said.

The state also had a record 4 million early voters, according to Raffensperger.

Nov 05, 2024, 9:30 PM EST

Judge extends Pa. county voting hours after bomb threat

A Pennsylvania judge granted a petition in Clearfield County to extend voting until 9 p.m. after a bomb threat targeted an administrative building where votes were being counted.

The judge made an oral ruling and a written petition will be filed in the morning, a spokesperson said.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro confirmed there was a series of bomb threats in the state and said his office is collaborating with local, state, and federal law enforcement in response to the threats.

"Thus far, there is no credible threat to the Commonwealth," he said.

-ABC News' Olivia Rubin and Chris Boccia

Nov 05, 2024, 8:56 PM EST

FBI says 'inauthentic' use of name pushes misinformation

FBI officials say there have been several instances of the "inauthentic" use of the FBI's name and seal to promote false election-related narratives.

The FBI seal is shown in the election security command center at FBI headquarters on Nov. 4, 2024.
ABC News

A fabricated written statement, falsely claiming to be from the FBI, warned media and bloggers against publishing information about violence at polling stations -- claiming that active dissemination of information about attacks at polling stations may provoke a spontaneous increase in such incidents.

A fabricated video impersonating the FBI and a U.S. government agency falsely provided a joint statement suggesting schools suspend educational activities through Nov. 11, fraudulently claiming that "the risk of school shooting and riots has increased significantly" because of the election.

And a fabricated video falsely claimed the FBI received "9,000 complaints about malfunctioning voting machines."

"Election integrity is among our highest priorities, and the FBI is working closely with state and local law enforcement partners to respond to election threats," FBI officials said in a statement. "Attempts to deceive the public with false content about FBI threat assessments and activities aim to undermine our democratic process and erode trust in the electoral system."

-ABC News' Luke Barr