US elections under guard: Drones, snipers ready for high-stakes vote

The United States administration has decided to significantly strengthen security measures at certain polling stations across the country due to an increase in threats directed at election commission staff and the potential for unrest. 

According to the publication, the measures include the use of drones, installation of panic buttons, and the deployment of snipers to guard polling stations and vote-counting centres in several cities, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Law enforcement agencies are preparing rapid response teams and deploying additional patrols on the streets. 

At least two states – Washington and Nevada – have mobilised the National Guard in case of disturbances. Arizona’s Secretary of State, Adrian Fontes, who is responsible for overseeing the state’s election results, revealed that he has donned a bulletproof vest due to the risk of potential attacks.

WP notes that the centre in Phoenix, Arizona, is “fortified like a fortress.” The heightened security measures reflect growing concerns over the possibility of violence and intimidation targeting both polling staff and voters.

The newspaper emphasises that many poll workers continue to face harassment and threats, highlighting the challenges of ensuring a safe and secure electoral process. Many Democrats fear that, should former President Donald Trump lose, his supporters may incite unrest.

Meanwhile, other jurisdictions, including in North Carolina, devised special training courses for police officers so they respond sensitively to emergencies at polling locations. The training emphasized that the role of officers is to protect people’s right to vote, not infringe on it.

“The turnout this year is a testament to the fact that people are not afraid of what they’re going to experience,” said Karen Brinson Bell, who leads the North Carolina State Board of Elections. “They have trust in our process.”

Notably, as the US election approaches, new polling indicates that Kamala Harris is leading among early voters in key battleground states. The Democratic candidate holds an 8% advantage over Donald Trump among those who have already cast their votes, according to a poll by the New York Times and Siena College. While Harris is slightly ahead in three swing states, Trump leads in one, with the remaining three too close to call.

In the final hours of campaigning, Harris addressed supporters in Michigan, while Trump held a rally in Pennsylvania, where he made headlines by joking about gaps in the bulletproof shields around him.

He remarked that he wouldn’t mind if reporters were shot at during a potential assassination attempt, calling the media "seriously corrupt". His communications director later asserted that Trump’s comments were meant to express concern for journalists’ safety.

By Aghakazim Guliyev