Thread by @CityLab

This election is like no other — and cities are preparing for the worst.

A number of major U.S. cities are taking steps to avoid widespread voter intimidation and civil unrest ahead of Election Day.

bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

Major cities that have rolled out plans to protect voters include:
➡️ NYC
➡️ Chicago
➡️ Philadelphia

But questions about how smaller communities are preparing remain.

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Smaller communities have seen some of the most intense violence by armed vigilantes in response to racial justice protests.

Unfounded assertions of fraud by President Donald Trump have raised the specter of such unrest.

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Why are some cities reluctant to speak about their preparations?

Perhaps because they haven’t done any, or to avoid any anti-government schemes such as the FBI-thwarted plot to kidnap Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer.

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Think about that: staying quiet to avoid becoming targets.

“It says something about America right now that we have to have these conversations,” says @BrooksRainwater

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Leaders across the country are making preparations by training election officials to de-escalate threats and working with police to counteract suppression at the polls.

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The greatest risk for clashes may be in swing states, where conservative rural areas typically surround politically progressive cities

“We need to be on watch, paying attention, and prepared to respond,” says @SMoralesDoyle

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