WASHINGTON • Temporary extra fencing has been erected around the White House, plywood affixed to storefronts in Manhattan and the National Guard put on notice in Portland, Oregon, as US cities braced themselves for possible unrest on election day.
"We don't see specific reports or threats at this point," New York Mayor Bill de Blasio told reporters on Monday. "We are ready for all sorts of challenges. A lot of preparation has been happening over the last few weeks and I'm meeting with city officials today to continue that preparation."
Most midtown Manhattan storefronts have been boarded up on Fifth and Madison avenues, though the mayor said the city had not advised businesses to take such steps.
Similar calculations were being made across the country as a campaign marked by unusual rancour and harsh rhetoric gives way to a final day of voting - followed by a potentially long period of vote counting that will determine if President Donald Trump receives a second term or if Mr Joe Biden gets sworn in come January.
In Washington, a likely focus for demonstrations, shops and other businesses located within several blocks of the White House already closed their doors on Monday, with some planning to stay shuttered the rest of the week or longer.
Nearly a dozen organised protests, assemblies and prayer vigils received permits from the National Park Service for organised actions this week. Multiple permits have been filed with the city for large gatherings as well, including an eight-hour demonstration with a giant digital screen and live music scheduled for election night that may draw thousands to the recently christened Black Lives Matter Plaza across a park from the White House.
Unsanctioned protests are almost certain, too, especially in the wake of the death of Mr Karon Hylton, a young black man who died in a crash on his moped while being followed closely by a police cruiser in the national capital on Oct 23.
Security staff were erecting temporary fencing around the White House and adjacent public grounds. City police have closed dozens of blocks downtown, effective shortly after midnight yesterday through today, including around the Trump International Hotel.
Some businesses remained undaunted. Eaton Workshop - a hotel and co-working space that has billed itself as the "anti-Trump hotel" - said it would provide paid time off for casting ballots or volunteering at polling sites. "Our security team is following the protocols suggested by law enforcement and our operating hours and procedures tomorrow are the same," said Mr Sheldon Scott, director of culture for Eaton DC.
A memo to faculty and staff from leaders at George Washington University, which has a campus located just blocks from the White House, suggested that people plan to bunker down: "We suggest preparing for the Election Day period as you would for a hurricane or a snowstorm," the memo reads.
In Oregon, Governor Kate Brown on Monday issued an executive order for the National Guard to be deployed if local and state law enforcement agencies need help in Portland, which has seen violent clashes between local demonstrators and federal authorities since early summer.
Law enforcement officers will be authorised to use tear gas if necessary. "I want to be very, very clear that voter intimidation and political violence will not be tolerated - not from the left, not from the right, not from the centre," Ms Brown said.
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