After months of criticism for its inability to protect one presidential candidate, the Secret Service is making protecting the other one a priority.
The White House, U.S. Capitol and Vice President Kamala Harris’s residence were all encased in new fencing on Sunday, according to The Washington Post.
The eight-foot-high metal fences also cover parts of Lafayette Square, near the White House.
Streets will also be closed in the area around Howard University, where Harris has scheduled her election night event.
Temporary bicycle-rack barriers bearing signs reading “Police Line: Do not cross” are surrounding the Capitol.
DC is boarding up around the White House and Harris’ home.
The Secret Service erected 8’ high metal fences in “anticipation for potential chaos.”
In addition to the newly installed fencing, DC police announced that starting Monday at 7 p.m. there will be street closures and… pic.twitter.com/2gQZcNKsQs
— ProudArmyBrat (@leslibless) November 4, 2024
The West Palm Beach, Florida, convention center where former President Donald Trump will have his official post-election gathering is also a focus of security efforts, according to the agency, which has been attacked over its failures to fully protect Trump on the campaign trail.
“The Secret Service is working closely with federal, state and local partners in Washington, DC and Palm Beach County, Florida to ensure heightened levels of Election Day safety and security,” the Secret Service said in a statement.
“These enhancements are not in response to any specific issue but are part of wide ranging public safety preparations for Tuesday’s election,” the statement said.
Fencing has gone up around some private buildings, as all Washington police officers have been called into duty.
“There is concern around the city,” Eric J. Jones, the vice president of government affairs for the Apartment and Office Building Association of Metropolitan Washington.
“Honestly, it’s just fear,” Jones added.
“I’m getting constant emails and text messages because people are really engaged. … People would rather be overprepared and have nothing happen, as opposed to the alternative,” he said.
In a year where mail-in ballots have been cast by millions, the possibility that the vote count will continue after Tuesday is very real.
Pennsylvania and Wisconsin do not allow the count of mail-in ballots to begin until Election Day, which can result in a final count not ending until Wednesday, according to USA Today.
“We could enter a period where we have pervasive misinformation and disinformation about the outcome of the election,” D.C. Assistant City Administrator Chris Rodrigez said last month, according to the Mirror.
72% of likely voters are concerned about violence as a result of the election, per new NPR/PBS/Marist poll. pic.twitter.com/BmiIGHJ0Jv
— Tom Dreisbach (@TomDreisbach) November 4, 2024
Lawrence Norden, vice president of the Elections & Government Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, said uncertainty and emotion can be a powerful mix, according to USA Today.
“That is the period of time where there’s an information void, and emotions are running extremely high,” Norden said. “That’s when you get the crowd showing up, threats against election workers, election officials, who are doing their jobs.”
