Voters, rather than presidential candidates, might be the ones to ask questions about a peaceful transition of power as cities around the country prepare for widespread unrest following Election Day’s results.
Businesses around the country have begun boarding up windows and closing early in anticipation of rioting, akin to the kind seen this summer in the wake of the death of George Floyd, as left-wing groups have promised massive protests on Nov. 4. In Washington, D.C., a group called #ShutDownDC released an online map highlighting various choke points on roads, media outlets, and “Trump Boosting” organizations as targets.
Last week, the group announced it would be meeting Tuesday morning at Black Lives Matter Plaza and Union Station to protest “organizations and institutions that have been enabling Trump’s attack on democracy for so long.” The evening will end back at Black Lives Matter Plaza for an “open organizing meeting,” according to a press release from the group.
Left-wing groups seem most concerned about a plot by Trump and the GOP to “steal” the election, either through voiding mail-in ballots via lawsuits or from the president simply refusing to leave office or claiming a premature victory. According to a coalition of grassroots activists called Stand Up America, over 370 “Count Every Vote” events around the country are scheduled for Wednesday.
“We can’t assume that Donald Trump will respect the peaceful transfer of power,” said Sean Eldridge, president and founder of Stand Up America. A statement from the group says it plans to “disrupt business as usual for some of the institutions that are most complicit in Trump’s attack on Democracy.”
And language like that have businesses around the country worried about a wave of violence should Biden not be declared the clear winner by the end of Election Day. In Illinois, Massachusetts, Oregon, and other states, governors have ordered the national guard to help maintain peace — a preemptive move that signals a reversal from the early hands-off approach many leaders took at the beginning of the summer’s civil unrest.
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser said at a press conference last week that local authorities were “preparing to ensure the city’s safety” and said she expects “some people would like to cause mayhem or trouble,” as businesses over a mile away from the White House have hired carpenters to cover storefronts with wood and metal barriers.
But the uncertainty of a winner by the end of election night could lead to days — if not weeks — of protests, running the risk of disruptions to businesses already struggling from the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. A week before the election, the National Retail Federation, which represents the interests of 18,000 businesses, held an online seminar on how to handle post-election disorder and violence.
“There’s certainly a chance that we could be facing, no matter what happens, property damage threats and violence,” said the group’s chief administrative officer and general counsel Stephanie Martz.
The NRF, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and other business groups sent out a statement in late October pleading with the public to be patient with potential delays or uncertainty as all ballots are counted.
“This election, tens of millions of Americans are expected to vote by mail, and it may be days or even weeks until the outcome is settled. Even under normal circumstances, it can take time to finalize results,” the statement read. “We urge all Americans to support the process set out in our federal and state laws and to remain confident in our country’s long tradition of peaceful and fair elections.”
