The windows have been reinforced with bullet-resistant glass. Sniffer dogs patrol the area. The guards in the 24-hour armed security wear full body shields and twitch nervously at every bang or slam. The doors have freshly installed lockdown bolts, and panic buttons for the worst-case scenario.

It looks like a scene from a zombie apocalypse film, when deadly threats could emerge from any direction. But, far from it, this is a scene from American democracy's dystopianRelating to an imagined society where there is great suffering or injustice.  new reality.

Election officials across the 10,000 jurisdictionsSystems of law courts. of the USA have implemented high-security measures to protect themselves against an unprecedented quantity of threats ahead of America's vote today.

They were hired to count ballots and maintain all the electronics as a rush of voters head to the polls. But they face widespread militarisation on election day as fears mount that conspiracists, denialists and rabble-rousers alike could be gearing up to strong-arm the country's vote with threats and violence.

It has been a campaign season fraught with aggression. Two assassination attempts, a would-be political mass murderer from Arizona,¹ arson at ballot drop boxes in Oregon and Washington state. A whopping 70% of election officials believe that threats of violence have increased since 2020.²

It is symptomatic of deepening partisanBiased. In military terms, a partisan is a guerrilla fighter. divides. Both sides have engaged in their fair share of mud-slinging. To take both sides at face value would be to call this race a battle between Marxists and fascists, frauds and tyrants, a "deep state" puppet and a Russian shillAn accomplice or swindler who poses as a genuine customer to entice or trick other people..

Others blame social media for the heightening of political violence, saying that it incites a polarised mob passionately committed to the fake news churned out by their respective algorithms. Elon Musk, who owns the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), has donated £77m to Trump's campaign.

Nor are the fears of violence unprecedented. On 6 January 2021, a mob of Trump supporters incited by the former president stormed the United States Capitol Building in Washington, attempting to effect a coup d'etatAn illegal takeover of the government.. Trump had stoked conspiracies that the 2020 election, which he lost, had been "stolen" by the Democrats.

And some say that Trump is trying to pre-empt his imminent defeat by once again sowing the seeds of suspicion in the electoral process among his followers. He has claimed that the Democrats could cheat to ensure their victory. Meanwhile, his opponent Kamala Harris has said she is bound to the peaceful transfer of power.

Some say it is the death toll of democracy. Even if election day proceeds without a hitch, we should not have to protect our fair votes with guns and armour.

But the catastrophe scenario is yet more sobering. Recent reports on conspiracy theorists and online chatter have suggested patterns which mirror the events leading up to the 6 January Capitol insurrectionA violent uprising against a government., with experts warning that there could be widespread violence and upheaval in the wake of the election.³

With a tight race projected in many states, the election is set to be miredTo be involved in a difficult or challenging situation. in uncertainty and tension. News organisations are unlikely to name a winner until the day after voting takes place, and the process will likely be set back by recounts and legal challenges. But some wonder if the election officials will even have time to count the votes before American democracy crumbles into ashes.

Will there be a result tomorrow?

Yes: Many will want to call the vote as soon as possible to avoid unrest and disorder. Besides, this could easily be a landslide victory for one of the candidates, in which case the result will become clear rapidly.

No: In 2000, George W Bush and Al Gore battled for over a month to see who had won the race. We should prepare for plenty of uncertainty. Even if it does not take a month this time, we could be waiting for a day or longer.

Or... America may not even make it to the count. People waving machetes at voters and trying to blow up ballot drop boxes? US democracy might not survive the day, let alone live long enough to call the results.