US actively preparing for post-election unrest

Over 20 states have requested National Guard troops to be sent to Washington if needed and if a formal request comes in during the weeks following the election and ahead of the inauguration.

The District of Columbia has not yet officially requested the deployment of Guard troops. However, officials are discussing and preparing for the possibility of renewed violence at the Capitol related to the congressional certification of the election results on January 6 and the inauguration two weeks later.

Speaking to reporters on November 4, Col. Jean Paul Laurenceau, chief of future operations for the National Guard Bureau, stated that it remains unclear how many Guardsmen will be necessary this year.

He said it would depend on what the District of Columbia wants, but he noted and emphasized that the National Guard Bureau and the states expect a request for assistance.

Concerns about potential political violence also worry officials in several swing states, where results will determine the winner.

In Las Vegas, a fence has been erected around the building where votes will be counted in Nevada. Governor Joe Lombardo has requested a limited contingent of 60 National Guard members to ensure timely responses to any challenges. Protests by Donald Trump supporters erupted in the state following the 2020 election.

Arizona

A metal fence has been placed around the vote counting center in Maricopa County, located in downtown Phoenix. In 2020, this area became a hotbed for election fraud theories and threats against election officials.

County Sheriff Russ Skinner stated that his department would remain on high alert for threats and violence. He instructed his staff to be prepared to fulfill their duties.

"We will have a lot of resources out there, a lot of staff, a lot of equipment," he added, noting deputies will use drones to monitor activity around polling places, and snipers and other reinforcements will be on standby for deployment if violence appears likely.

He stated that polarization intensifies in the days following the election, so law enforcement will remain on heightened alert and have a zero-tolerance policy for any criminal activity.

A local representative from Arizona’s election commission told Reuters that concerned about the possibility of protests or even violence, several schools and churches in the state, which previously served as polling centers, will not operate as voting locations this year.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which has over 400,000 members in Arizona, has offered several locations for voting to fill this gap.

Michigan

In Michigan, Trump supporters descended upon a conference room in downtown Detroit, where the 2020 election occurred. When the counting of absentee ballots stretched into a second day, they began banging on windows.

This year, yellow bicycle racks have been set up on both sides of the boulevard where the building stands. Visitors are required to pass through metal detectors, and about 15 police officers patrol the central hall.

Daniel Baxter, Detroit's chief operating officer for absentee voting and special projects, noted that police are also stationed on the roof and around the building. He stated that the eight days of early mail-in ballot processing proceeded peacefully.

California and Washington

Peter Simi, a sociology professor at Chapman University in California, who has researched threats against public officials, indicated that the worst-case scenario would arise if Trump loses and does not concede his defeat.

He believes that instead of a repeat of the 2021 Capitol attack by Trump supporters, the conflict may manifest as “dispersed, diffuse events across multiple locations,” which law enforcement would find more challenging to manage.

He added that preventive measures are spreading to states other than those with ongoing political battles. Authorities in Oregon and Washington have reported the activation of the National Guard. Some storefronts in Washington and other cities have boarded up their windows.

US presidential election

The United States will hold its presidential election on Tuesday, November 5. The main candidates are Kamala Harris from the Democratic Party and Donald Trump from the Republican Party.

According to the latest polls, both candidates have roughly equal ratings. Seven swing states, where voters traditionally sway in their support for candidates, will determine the final election results.

Risk of unrest

On January 6, 2021, Trump supporters stormed the Capitol during the certification of the presidential election results, which Joe Biden won, interrupting the congressional session.

Several states and government agencies expressed concern about the potential unrest of Trump supporters during this election.

At the end of October, two states saw ballot drop boxes set on fire, destroying hundreds of ballots.

In Washington, police set up a high fence around the White House, the Capitol, and Kamala Harris' residence.

Meanwhile, the Democratic campaign has a plan in case Trump declares his victory in the election before all the votes are counted.