CityLab Daily: How Are Cities Protecting Voters?
Also today: What cities can do on immigration, and India’s new law to tackle air pollution.
Many U.S. cities are stepping up public-safety training in case of voter intimidation — or even violence — on Election Day.
Photographer: Maranie R. Staab/AFP via Getty Images
On guard: With Election Day roughly a week away in the U.S., authorities in large urban centers have announced unprecedented steps to protect voters from harassment and prevent civil unrest at polling sites. As CityLab previously reported, voter intimidation could get ugly this year following President Donald Trump’s calls for poll watchers to monitor for evidence of his unfounded claims of voter fraud.
New York City is assembling groups of volunteers to assist voters in reporting instances of intimidation, for example, while Chicago has been performing public safety drills. In many other cities, though, officials plan to treat the election as relatively ordinary, with some warning that overemphasizing safety risks could contribute to tensions. Still others are remaining mum on their preparations, if any, including localities that saw militia activity at protests in recent months. Danielle Moran, Laura Bliss and Sarah Holder report today on CityLab: Cities Gird for Election Day Unrest