A Georgia poll worker has been arrested by federal authorities after allegedly sending a threatening letter targeting fellow election workers with violent and disturbing threats, including rape, physical assault, and a bomb warning.
The suspect, 25-year-old Nicholas Wimbish from Milledgeville, Georgia, now faces serious federal charges stemming from these accusations.
The incident began on October 16 at the Jones County Elections Office in Gray, Georgia, where Wimbish was working as a poll worker.
During the day, he reportedly had a heated argument with a voter, leading to a tense confrontation.
The situation, however, took a darker turn when Wimbish allegedly spent that evening scouring the internet, attempting to find out how much personal information about himself was publicly accessible.
The following day, according to federal prosecutors, Wimbish mailed a threatening letter to the Jones County Elections Superintendent.
Using an alias, “Jones County Voter,” he attempted to frame the message as if it had come from the voter with whom he had argued.
The letter contained serious accusations and alarming threats directed at Wimbish himself and other election workers.
The content of the letter was disturbing. It accused Wimbish of causing trouble for voters, saying he had “given me hell,” “conspired votes,” and “distracted voters from concentrating.”
The threats escalated quickly from vague warnings to explicit menaces.
“You should look over your shoulder… I know where they go… I know where they all live because I found home voting addresses for all them,” the letter ominously stated. It threatened severe consequences, saying that “young men will get beatdown if they fight me” and would face “the treason punishment by firing squad if they fight back.”
The language aimed at female election workers was particularly horrifying.
The letter contained threats of “rage rape” against women, warning them to “watch every move they make and look over their shoulder.”
The communication concluded with a chilling postscript: “PS boom toy in early vote place, cigar burning, be safe,” implying a bomb threat at the voting location.
Wimbish has been charged with several federal offenses, including mailing a bomb threat, conveying false information about a bomb threat, mailing a threatening letter, and making false statements to the FBI. If convicted on all counts, he could face up to 25 years in prison.
Authorities report that Wimbish had a promising academic background. He recently completed a master’s degree in public administration from Georgia College and State University and held an undergraduate degree in political science with a minor in rhetoric.
Wimbish had been one of five students working at the Jones County Senior Center as part of their election duties. In a previous interview, he spoke enthusiastically about his passion for election work, saying he had once considered it as a future career. “It’s been great to explore a potential career path in this field,” he shared in a May article.
“Working any election in any capacity—whether for an internship or not—is a crowning moment. The sense of achievement, being a part of democracy-in-action, is rewarding.”
Wimbish had even expressed an interest in managing elections or teaching in the field someday, crediting a professor, Claire Sanders, for inspiring him. But now, those career aspirations are in jeopardy.
After his arrest, Wimbish continued to engage with election-related discussions on social media. Just days later, he posted a CNN clip of Gabriel Sterling, the Chief Operating Officer of the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office, addressing voters.
In his post, Wimbish echoed Sterling’s call for respecting election workers and recognizing their commitment to carrying out elections with integrity.
“Please respect your community’s election officials and all election officials, as well as their safety,” he wrote on November 1. “Do know despite people’s weird theories, election workers have a passion and duty to execute an election fairly, are doing the people’s work without fraud, deceit, and interference of any kind. After the election, hopefully, the outcome can be widely peacefully accepted, and the political rhetoric can be toned down.”
The FBI’s Atlanta Field Office is leading the investigation into the case, and the incident has sparked renewed attention on the safety of poll workers.
Election officials and security experts have repeatedly emphasized the importance of protecting those who help facilitate the democratic process, especially in today’s politically charged environment.
As the case unfolds, the allegations against Wimbish serve as a sobering reminder of the challenges and dangers election workers face.
The arrest highlights the critical need for ensuring the safety and security of those who work to maintain the integrity of the voting process in the United States.