Here are some things you should expect during this presidential election.
- Protests
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Despite which candidate wins this election, protests are most likely going to transpire over several weeks, especially in major cities. Many stores are boarding up due to rising concerns of protests turning violent. According to WBUR, up to 1,000 members of the Massachusetts National Guard will be activated to ensure safety during and after the election. Boston mayor Marty Walsh posted on Twitter that “We are monitoring conversations across the country about the potential for voter intimidation at the polls.” Due to claims of voter fraud and voter suppression taking place during this election, people may feel unrest if their candidate does not win. Protect the Results is a grassroots network that has planned protests across the country due to fear of Donald Trump undermining the election results, according to their website.They have over 200 peaceful protesters planned.
- Ballot Recounts
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Again, due to fear of voter suppression and fraud, the presidential candidates may most likely request ballot recounts to ensure no mistakes were made when tallying votes. According to Massachusetts’ Elections Division, “The recount includes counting all ballots cast for all the candidates for the office, blanks cast, all spoiled and unused ballots, and absentee ballot envelopes and applications.”
- Not Knowing the Presidential Outcome
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According to Pew Research, 47.3% of ballots this year were submitted before November 3. Pew Research also reports that at least six states cannot start processing ballots until election day and 22 states plus the District of Columbia can count absentee ballots days after election day, if the ballots were postmarked by Nov. 3. Due to these circumstances, it is still not known when the outcome of the presidential election will be announced, as states that have counted absentee ballots as soon as they arrived may announce a winner sooner than states that hadn’t.