Harris, Trump's final pitch in Pennsylvania before the tight presidential race

As a tense America elects either Republican Donald Trump or Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris as president, concerns about possible political violence have led officials to take various measures to increase security during and after Election Day.

Many of the most visible moves are occurring in the battleground states that will decide the presidential election, states like Nevada, which saw protests by supporters of former President Donald Trump after the 2020 election.

This year, a security fence surrounds the site of some of those protests – the tabulation center in Las Vegas. Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo said last week he had activated a “limited contingent” of 60 National Guard members to ensure a timely response to any challenges.

Meanwhile, with just hours to go before Election Day and after a surprise Des Moines Register poll that showed Harris leading Trump in Iowa, he focused on comments from Mrs. Obama that appeared to have significantly influenced him. At a press event at Mar-a-Lago last week, Trump repeatedly called her “evil” as he reflected on her comments.

In response to increasing threats and harassment since the 2020 election, U.S. election offices have increased security measures. Many have trained staff in de-escalation techniques and conducted active shooter drills in anticipation of potential violence. They also have protocols in place to identify criminal threats and involve law enforcement when necessary.

Structural reinforcements such as bulletproof glass and steel doors were installed in hundreds of offices. Additionally, some have increased security details and restricted access to social media to protect workers' privacy. To address the growing hostility, new laws and stricter harassment enforcement were enacted.

Authorities are particularly concerned about the right-wing election denial movement, which gained momentum after Donald Trump refused to accept his loss to Joe Biden in 2020. His baseless claims of election fraud led to the “Stop the Steal” protests and the Capitol insurrection on January 6, 2021. Trump has not committed to accepting future election results and claimed without evidence that Democrats were cheating to To elect Kamala Harris. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson expressed increasing concern for her safety after Elon Musk criticized her online. Before addressing his claims regarding the Michigan election, Benson consulted with her security team to ensure her family's safety.

Reuters reports that Trump, who continues to falsely claim the 2020 election was rigged, has targeted several groups and individuals for possible investigations if re-elected. This includes political opponents like Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, Barack Obama and Liz Cheney, as well as election officials and tech personalities like Mark Zuckerberg and Google. Meanwhile, warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico are predicted to intensify hurricanes, although climate change remains a minor issue in this year's presidential campaign. At a rally in Pennsylvania, Trump sparked controversy when he joked about shooting reporters, overshadowing his criticism of Kamala Harris. His campaign also owes several cities unpaid public safety costs from rallies, prompting some to demand advance payments.

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