Bomb Threat Halts Voting at Toledo Polling Place on Election Day

A bomb threat forced voters out of a Toledo, Ohio, polling place Tuesday morning, halting ballots at Beverly Elementary School for nearly two hours on Election Day, according to local news reports and Toledo police.

Toledo Police responded at approximately 10:27 a.m. Eastern to a reported bomb threat at Beverly Elementary, which is serving as a polling location for Tuesday’s election, WTOL 11 reported. Toledo Public Schools confirmed that a threatening call came into the school, according to both WTOL and WTVG 13 Action News. Students in the district did not have class Tuesday, WTOL reported.

BREAKING | A bomb threat forced Toledo police to sweep Beverly Elementary School on Tuesday — a facility currently serving as a polling location. In a separate incident, Lake Local Schools says it evacuated students and staff after receiving a threat: https://t.co/bYRWjJZg20 pic.twitter.com/hJz0l9uRpC

— WTOL 11 (@WTOL11Toledo) November 3, 2026

Voters and poll workers were evacuated while officers searched the grounds, according to WTOL. A representative with an election protection poll-monitoring group in Lucas County told WTOL at the scene that roughly 40 people stood outside during the sweep, and that monitors were collecting names and phone numbers from people who were turned away.

Bomb squad and K-9s called in

Toledo Police public information officer Sgt. Mohamad Nasser said the Northwest Ohio Bomb Squad was notified and bomb-detection K-9 teams were requested to search the sites, according to WTOL.

A second threat came in at approximately 10:39 a.m. at Monac Elementary School in Toledo, where staff were on hand for a workday, WTOL reported. Washington Local Schools said Monac was evacuated after a phone call suggesting a bomb threat, and Toledo Police swept the building and found nothing, according to the district’s statement to WTOL. Police said it was not yet known whether the two threats were connected, WTOL reported.

The threats did not stop there. Four other area schools also received threats, including Conneaut Elementary and Kenwood Elementary in Bowling Green, Monac Elementary in Toledo and Lake Local Schools, according to WTVG. Local police swept those buildings, and students and staff returned after the buildings were determined to be safe, WTVG reported. Lake Local Schools said it evacuated students and staff after receiving a threat, WTOL 11 said in a post on X.

Voting resumes after sweep

Lucas County Board of Elections Director LaVera Scott initially said additional voting machines were being brought to the school so voters could cast ballots outside, according to WTVG. Instead, voters were allowed back inside Beverly Elementary shortly after noon, the station reported. WTOL reported that Toledo Police cleared the site as of 12:15 p.m. Eastern.

Scott confirmed that election officials were actively monitoring worker safety and evaluating whether any additional steps would be needed as voting resumed, WTOL reported. Ideastream Public Media, which covers Northeast Ohio, reported that the Board of Elections would determine whether voting operations at the school should be diverted.

None of the reports reviewed by Daily Beltway said a suspect had been identified, and police described the matter as under investigation, according to WTOL.

Why it matters

Calling in a fake bomb threat to a polling place does more than waste police time. It turns voters away from the polls, rattles the volunteers who run them and chips away at public confidence in the election itself. Lucas County voters who were turned away Tuesday morning should not have to choose between their safety and their ballot, and whoever placed these calls should be found and held accountable.

Daily Beltway will update this story as Toledo police release more information on the source of the threats.

Sources

• WTOL 11: Voters allowed back into Beverly Elementary after evacuation
• WTVG 13 Action News: Polling location at Beverly Elementary temporarily evacuated due to bomb threat
• Ideastream Public Media: Live coverage of Ohio’s 2026 midterm election
• WTOL 11 on X

Reporting by Daily Beltway.