Security ramped up nationwide for Election Day, preparing for mass protests

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser isn’t planning on calling the National Guard as of now, but if things get out of hand, she will have the choice to do so.

By Charlotte Hazard

As Election Day is just [one day] away, Washington, D.C., Michigan, Georgia and other states around the U.S. are ramping up security, as massive protests are expected no matter who wins.

In the deep-blue cities of Philadelphia, Atlanta and Detroit, security measures are taking place to keep election officials safe. In Detroit and Atlanta, some campaign offices have installed bullet-proof glass protecting election offices. In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a warehouse that counts ballots has fencing around it topped with barbed wire, according to Reuters.

The executive director of North Carolina’s State Board of Elections said that election workers have been harassed already amid early voting. The state has a law where law enforcement can only be at polling places if there are threats, according to Politico.

Other states such as Massachusetts have a law that requires police presence at polling places no matter what.

Earlier last month, the federal government began fortifying Washington, D.C., for Inauguration Day, which is about three months away. The effort began with crews erecting fencing around the White House, including nearby Lafayette Park, the National Park Service, which is leading the effort, said.

These efforts historically begin Nov. 1. The park service said it started earlier to “accommodate additional time needed for a safer and more secure environment.” According to a report from Axios D.C., there will be armed guards at the D.C. Board of Elections on Nov. 5. A spokesperson told the outlet that this was to keep an eye out for any types of threats at polling stations.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser isn’t planning on calling the National Guard as of now, but if things get out of hand, she will have the choice to do so. Police Chief Pamela A. Smith told The Washington Post that the entire police department will be deployed through the city to ensure safety in days leading up to Nov. 5. Most officers’ paid vacations and leave time has been canceled and they will have to work 12-hour shifts to “ensure we have enough officers on the street and in every corner of the District,” Smith said.

Following the Jan. 6 Capitol Riot in 2021, local and federal officials have been increasing security so another incident like that doesn’t occur. 

Taking few chances, local business owners concerned about potential riots have been boarding up their windows, which Bowser said might not be necessary. Bowser has been having phone calls with business groups that are worried about their businesses and potential rioters due to the George Floyd riots in the summer of 2020.

“I hope it’s a peaceful transfer of power, but you have to be prepared,” a D.C. restaurant owner said during an interview with Axios.

_________

RELATED

DOJ invokes Civil War-era law in warning federal agents not to respond to polling places with guns

*********

(TLB) published  this report with permission of John Solomon at Just the News.  Click Here to read about the staff at Just the News

Header featured image (edited) credit: Org. post content. Emphasis added by (TLB)

••••

••••

Stay tuned tuned…

••••

The Liberty Beacon Project is now expanding at a near exponential rate, and for this we are grateful and excited! But we must also be practical. For 7 years we have not asked for any donations, and have built this project with our own funds as we grew. We are now experiencing ever increasing growing pains due to the large number of websites and projects we represent. So we have just installed donation buttons on our websites and ask that you consider this when you visit them. Nothing is too small. We thank you for all your support and your considerations … (TLB)

••••

Comment Policy: As a privately owned web site, we reserve the right to remove comments that contain spam, advertising, vulgarity, threats of violence, racism, or personal/abusive attacks on other users. This also applies to trolling, the use of more than one alias, or just intentional mischief. Enforcement of this policy is at the discretion of this websites administrators. Repeat offenders may be blocked or permanently banned without prior warning.

••••

Disclaimer: TLB websites contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available to our readers under the provisions of “fair use” in an effort to advance a better understanding of political, health, economic and social issues. The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving it for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than “fair use” you must request permission from the copyright owner.

••••

Disclaimer: The information and opinions shared are for informational purposes only including, but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material are not intended as medical advice or instruction. Nothing mentioned is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.