Election day has arrived, and many are fearing an outbreak of violence from left-wing agitators as the evening unfolds. Fox News has reported that a number of state governors are activating the National Guard in preparation.
Among them is Massachusetts Gov. Charles D. Baker (R), who signed an order on Tuesday deploying troops to “protect public safety and the rights of all residents in the event of large-scale gatherings.”
Baker’s directive provides for the deployment of “1,000 military personnel of the Massachusetts National Guard and may be increased by further order.” It will remain in effect “until further order of the Adjutant General.”
Potential for chaos
Meanwhile, Fox News is also reporting that Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) has deployed soldiers to his state’s largest city in preparation for unrest there as well.
“We’ve made sure that our National Guard is simply in a state of readiness,” the cable news network quoted Pritzker as saying. He did not provide specifics regarding the number of troops who will be on hand.
The governor added, “We want to make sure that cities, counties that call upon us for help from the state of Illinois, that we have those resources available to them.”
“It is very important that we are patient with the presidential election. We may very well not know who won the election on Wednesday, let alone Tuesday night.”
Personnel ready in Chicago if needed
After military personal were spotted entering the city, Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications said in a tweet that the local government “has not made any calls to deploy the National Guard in Chicago.”
“Similar to past emergency preparedness plans, the State has stationed personnel at McCormick Place to be ready to respond if needed, however, there are currently no plans for them to be deployed.”
Chicago has been the scene of multiple riots this year, including an outburst in August that saw looters attack the Ronald McDonald House charity while terrified children and their families were trapped inside.
According to The Hill, a total of 16 states have thus far called up the National Guard. While some troops will be assigned to assist at polling stations, others are expected to be on hand in the event of disorder.
Fox News quoted Wisconsin governor Tony Evers as saying that “the Guard will be needed to ensure that Election Day goes smoothly and that voters and election officials alike have the assistance they need.”
The post State governors call up National Guard ahead of election night first appeared on Conservative Institute.
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