Fears of violence, civil unrest & more… How US presidential elections has country on edge

Nearly four years ago, the United States witnessed turmoil during the presidential elections, with Donald Trump refusing to cede that he had lost the polls to Joe Biden. This resulted in the attempted insurrection that unfolded at Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

With Donald Trump on the ticket again, this time facing off against Democratic candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris, there are fears that election night could descend into chaos and violence. He has already hinted that he won’t accept a defeat, telling his supporters at Lititz, Pennsylvania on Sunday that he “shouldn’t have left” the White House. Many fear that in case the votes don’t go in favour of the former US president, Trump may resort to misinformation and incite violence — reminiscent of his 2020 playbook.

Catch all our ‘live’ updates on the US election results
here

We take a closer look at what could possibly go wrong on election night and how it could mar the democratic process in the United States of America.

Calm before the storm

Before Election Night, an eerie calm surrounds the country. Many across the US are preparing for the possible threat of violence. Elections offices in the US have hardened their
security measures this year. Hundreds of election offices have been reinforced with bulletproof glass and steel doors.

And this isn’t restricted to election offices alone. According to Glen Kucera, an executive at Allied Universal, a private security company, many of his clients have sought resources to protect themselves and their businesses. “The threat is kind of imminent and everywhere,” Kucera told Business Insider. “We’re trying to get ahead of the threat.”

In some states, the National Guard has been activated in preparation for Election Day. Moreover,
panic buttons attached to lanyards have been provided for the primary poll worker to wear at every polling site.

Calls for voter fraud

Many US poll experts note that in case the results veer towards Kamala Harris, Donald Trump and his supporters will level allegations of
voter fraud. In the run-up to the polls, he has already made repeated false claims that Democrats are cheating in the election.

This includes saying voting by non-citizens is a widespread problem. In September, Trump had said during the presidential debate, “Our elections are bad, and a lot of these illegal immigrants coming in, they’re trying to get them to vote. “They can’t even speak English. They don’t even know what country they’re in practically. And these people are trying to get them to vote.”

However, factually speaking illegal voting by non-citizens is extremely rare, and when it does happen, it is usually caught quickly.

Such claims of voter fraud, which have gone viral on social media, however, are largely a made-up problem. Paul Smith from the Campaign Legal Centre told USA Today that reviews of the 2020 election and the 2022 midterms found no evidence of significant voter fraud.

But former President Trump and some Republicans continue to spread false claims.

In the run-up to Election Day, many pro-Trump groups, including chapters of the Proud Boys, have been posting memes and content that suggest that the 2024 election will be stolen from Trump.

On Telegram, several groups were indulging in a movement intended to question the credibility of the presidential election, reported the New York Times.

Threats of violence

Apart from voter fraud, there are also concerns about cases of violence and intimidation on Election Day. And this isn’t an unfounded concern as there are already incidents of violence during early voting.

For instance, a man in Arizona was allegedly stockpiling weapons and plotting a “mass casualty” event, according to police who arrested him last week for shooting at Democratic party offices. There’s also the case of the man who planted
explosive devices in two ballot boxes in Oregon and Washington.

Threats of violence have also surged online in recent weeks, peddled by conspiracy theorists, disinformation peddlers and propagandists. This has led many to believe that violence is inevitable post-Election Day.

Trump’s plan of deploying over 150,000 volunteer poll watchers is also a cause of concern for pollsters. Earlier, Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr said on X, “We need every able-bodied man, woman to join [the] Army for Trump’s election security operation. We need you to help us watch them. Not just on Election Day, but also during early voting and at the counting boards. President Trump is going to win. Don’t let them steal it.”

Experts note that such messages could incite violence and could lead to voter interference at the least.

Some note that there’s also a possibility of civil unrest, similar to what one saw in January 2021.

Cyberattacks

There’s also the looming threat of
cyberattacks. Even before Election Day, there have been reports of countries such as Russia, China, and Iran actively targeting digital accounts linked to political campaigns, spreading misinformation, and probing election infrastructure.

We shall have to wait and watch for how Election Day unfolds: Will Americans keep calm or will the US once again see mass violence? The answer will be known soon enough.

With inputs from agencies

Get all the latest updates of US Elections 2024