Post-Election Security Concerns Growing As Stores In Center City Boarding Up In Anticipation Of Unrest
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Officials are preparing for anything that could happen in today's election. Post-election security concerns are also growing as many businesses in Center City and elsewhere have boarded-up storefronts in anticipation of unrest yet again.
The unrest began last week with the police shooting of Walter Wallace Jr. The National Guard also remains in Philadelphia to assist local police.
As for election security, Philadelphia officials are preparing for possible issues like voter intimidation and violence at the polls.
District Attorney Larry Krasner says this is the first time his office's Election Task Force is fully staffed ahead of Election Day. They'll respond to calls from the city's 700 polling places.
"This is the cradle of liberty and nobody is going to steal that from us," Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said. "We've had a larger Election Task Force than ever in the history of the DA's office.
"What this means is there will be a full complement of law enforcement expertise on scene when responding to these calls," Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said.
The Kimmel Center is operating as a polling place. This will be the first time the center is being used for the general election. It was also used in June for the primary.
Hundreds of people were in line at the Kimmel Center at 7 a.m. when the polls opened. But the lines have since dissipated. Poll workers were able to keep the line moving.
"Democracy is alive and well and this is our biggest day of the year to have a voice, so I'm excited to see people out," voter Elizabeth Platt said.
While the Kimmel Center is expecting a huge turnout, they say lines could look even longer because of social distancing safety measures.
But all is not going so well elsewhere in the city. The polling place at the community center on the 3000 block of North Percy street ran out of paper and voting had to be halted. It's back up and running now.
Steps are being taken to comply with social distancing and other guidelines. While there is a record 9 million registered voters in Pennsylvania, it's not clear how many will show up to the polls. Officials say 2.8 million Pennsylvanians requested mail-in ballots. That's nearly half of the total vote in the 2016 election.
Polls in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware close at 8 p.m. Stay with CBS3, CBSN Philly, CBSPhilly.com and the CBS Philly app for exclusive local reaction and live results.
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