COLUMBUS, Ohio — Across the country, cities are gearing up for the election. For some, they're doing it with plywood.
In downtown Columbus, workers have worked through the weekend into Monday putting up plywood on storefronts.
Many businesses in Ohio had been broken into and looted during protests following the death of George Floyd. The Cuyahoga County Justice Center building had been damaged and cars were set on fire. Columbus businesses that had just reopened from the pandemic had to once again close for repairs, setting them back further.
And owners are worried it could happen again, no matter the results of the election.
Joe Heilbrunn with Construction Systems Inc. said they probably used 250 sheets of plywood over the weekend at Huntington Bank and Huntington Plaza. He added that the plywood is cheaper than replacing glass if rioting happens again.
“The way things have been going — they call it protesting, but so much rioting and looting," Heilbrunn says. "Because last time, they broke a lot of windows down here.”
Other cities like New York City and Washington D.C. are also taking similar precautions.
A JL Partners-Independent poll found that 75% of Americans fear post-election violence. More than 70% of President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden supports who were surveyed also shared the same concerns.
Over the weekend, the International Crisis Group released a 30-page report warned of "unfamiliar danger" in the next few days, writing, "While Americans have grown used to a certain level of rancor in these quadrennial campaigns, they have not in living memory faced the realistic prospect that the incumbent may reject the outcome or that armed violence may result."
The group, which usually brings attention to issues such as war, says there are many reasons they are sounding the alarm: the possibility of hate speech, spread of misinformation, the recent conflicts surrounding racial justice and the rise of armed groups.
Heilbrunn said it's likely crews will be out all day installing the plywood, and he might not be able to vote.
But if he can, Heilbrunn says he's casting his vote for Trump.
Digital reporter Pete Grieve contributed to this story.
