US states worried about election unrest take security precautions

A security fence rings a Las Vegas building where a Nevada county tabulates votes. 

An Arizona sheriff has his department on high alert to guard against potential violence with drones and snipers on standby. 

The National Guard has been or will be activated in 19 states so far to help maintain peace.

As a tense America votes on Tuesday for either Republican Donald Trump or Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris for president, concerns about potential political violence have prompted officials to take a variety of measures to bolster security during and after Election Day.

Many of the most visible moves can be seen in the battleground states that will decide the presidential election, such as states like Nevada, where protests by Trump supporters broke out after the 2020 election.

This year, a security fence rings the scene of some of those protests - the Las Vegas tabulation center.

A defense official said on Monday that Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Iowa, Illinois, North Carolina, New Mexico, Oregon, Wisconsin, and Washington state have current National Guard missions. 

In contrast, Washington DC, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia have troops on standby.

Reuters