A bomb threat forced the evacuation of the Turtle Back Zoo early-voting site in West Orange on Saturday, Oct. 24, shutting down the polling location on the first day of early in-person voting in Essex County.

The Essex County Sheriff's Office received a call about a potential bomb threat at 10:45 a.m., according to NJ.com, which first reported the incident. Deputies swept the facility and found no bomb. The Essex County Clerk's Office confirmed to NJ.com that the threat was deemed "viable."

The polling site reopened at 12:20 p.m. The zoo itself remained closed for the rest of the day.

As we reported Oct. 23, the West Orange area is home to one of Essex County's designated early-voting locations for Millburn, Short Hills and Livingston voters. Early in-person voting runs through Nov. 1, according to the state Division of Elections. Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. No appointment is needed.

News 12 New Jersey reported that authorities said there was no active threat as of Saturday afternoon. Officials have not released additional details about the threat or the investigation.

The South Orange Democratic Committee called the threat an attempt to disrupt the election. In a statement reported by NJ.com, the committee said, "This attempt to disrupt the election only emphasizes how important every vote is."

The incident came days after state Democrats pulled a bill that would have barred federal law enforcement and military personnel from coming within 100 feet of polling places and ballot drop boxes, NJ.com reported separately. The legislation advanced through an Assembly committee on Oct. 22 but was removed from the state Senate's agenda after Gov. Mikie Sherrill's office raised concerns it might not withstand a constitutional challenge.

Residents who prefer not to vote in person can use secure ballot drop boxes. Boxes are available at Millburn Town Hall, 22 E. Willow St., and Livingston Town Hall, 357 S. Livingston Ave., according to the state's drop box locator. Both are open 24 hours a day through Nov. 3.

An investigation into the bomb threat is ongoing, according to the sheriff’s office.