US election: Washington DC experiences calm before the storm

Washington, D.C. was not up to its usual hustle and bustle on Monday, the day before Americans head to the polls to elect a new president on November 5. Traffic seemed just a little bit lighter, with fewer people out and about.

"The city is quiet, so quiet," said Manaye, an elderly Uber driver, on Monday. He didn't sound happy, and it soon became clear why. "I guess everyone is watching the election from home," he complained. Not a lot of business to be had for Uber drivers.

Some buildings along Pennsylvania Avenue, the street that the White House is on, started safety preparations as early as Friday, with workers barricading the street-fronts with plywood. Office buildings as well as convenience restaurants are taking precautions.

"There definitely always are fears living around D.C. that something like the Capitol riots might happen again, that it might get violent around here," a young woman walking along the fencing protecting the White House said. "But overall, I think people will be ok."

Washington wants to prevent repeat of January 6

Washington is on high alert ahead of the November 5 election because the memory of the last transfer of power is still fresh in people's minds. On January 6, 2021, when Congress certified Joe Biden's election victory, an angry mob of Donald Trump supporters and rightwing extremists stormed the US Capitol. Half a year before that, during the Black Lives Matter protests in May and June 2020, several street-front businesses in Washington's downtown area were damaged.

City officials as well as local and federal agencies have vowed not to be caught off-guard this time around and to keep everyone safe through election week and beyond. All eligible 3,300 D.C. police officers will work 12-hour shifts "to ensure we have enough officers on the street and in every corner of the District," Police Chief Pamela A. Smith said.

Brooke Pinto, a Democratic D.C. councilmember, also said security is the highest priority. "Across the DC government we have prepared and coordinated with federal partners to ensure the safety of DC residents and visitors throughout the election and inauguration," Pinto said in a statement shared with the Washington Post. "Violence or destruction will not be tolerated."

Democratic presidential candidate and current vice president Kamala Harris will actually be in Washington on November 5. Her election night party will take place at her alma mater Howard University. In the university's neighborhood, workers have set up metal fencing, and police cars are a constant presence.

Bars and restaurants are closed, and not many people are around on campus, since classes have been moved online for November 4 and 5. (Donald Trump will spend election night in West Palm Beach, Florida, not far from his Mar-a-Lago residence.)

Some Washington residents have contingency plans

A little further uptown, where bars, restaurants and shops line 14th Street, it's business as usual — no boarded-up storefronts in sight. Locals here aren't too concerned about their personal safety.

"I am not overly worried about riots, probably because I won't be in proximity of the White House or the Capitol," said Emma, 24. "If I lived downtown, I probably wouldn't feel too comfortable being out and about this week though, emotions are definitely running high."

Christopher, 47, a resident of Washington's Capitol Hill neighborhood, certainly feels the discomfort.

"I'm trying not to be overwhelmed with worry, but it is definitely a concern," he said. "I live close to the Capitol and have vivid memories of January 6."

Should the situation escalate again after the election or in the run-up to inauguration, Christopher says he already has an escape plan. "If things get crazy, I'm going to pack up the cat and stay with my partner across town."

Edited by: Kate Hairsine