US election 2024: White House barricaded, states take security precautions

Security has been tightened in the United States (US) ahead of the high-stakes presidential election, as authorities are anticipating potential violence based on what happened during the 2020 election.

A report by the news agency Reuters early Tuesday (Nov 5) said that the National Guard has been or would be activated in 19 states to help maintain peace.

The security measures would be in place even after Election Day (Nov 5). The top candidates in this election are Donald Trump (Republican Party) and Kamala Harris (Democratic Party). 

Authorities have been concerned about the rise of the rightwing election denial movement, which originated in 2020 following Trump’s rejection of his defeat to Joe Biden.

A report by DailyMail late Monday said that businesses in Washington DC were boarding up their windows as security fencing went up around the White House, Vice President and current Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris’ residence, and other key buildings in the capital city of US.

Fights have broken out at polling stations and election workers have prepared for gun attacks, amid a flurry of threats to blow up political offices and other sensitive sites ahead of election day, the report said.

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Earlier, Washington state had activated some members of the National Guard to be on standby. 

In this presidential election, the battleground states are- Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. 

Security is tight in these states. But that’s not just it. Reuters reported early Tuesday that precautions are stretching beyond the battleground states.

A defence official said on Monday that Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Iowa, Illinois, North Carolina, New Mexico, Oregon, Wisconsin and Washington state have current National Guard missions while Washington DC, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia have troops on standby.

Hundreds of election offices across the country have been equipped with bulletproof glass and steel doors. 

A report by The Guardian said that some offices have increased their security details or locked down their social media handles. 

(With inputs from agencies)