Special Report

America Votes

In 2020, Election Day may rhyme with unrest. At least, that’s what officials fear

A person takes a photo of boarded up windows around the Trump Tower on November 3, 2020. Photo by Edith Rousselot

 A few hours before US election results were declared on November 3, 2020 workers all around New York City hurried to board up the last windows. 

“New York looks like a huge construction site today,” said a bystander who was taking photos of boarded up windows on the 5th Avenue. 

On the morning of Election Day, the atmosphere was so calm in the city that we could hear jigsaws cutting plywood boards and hammer blows.  

Retailers, banks and other businesses in the city who feared potential unrest on the night of the election and after, like the Black Live Matters riots in May, decided to take the lead and secure their storefronts. 

“The store’s located in front of the Trump Building so we had to take the necessary action to stay safe,” said a security guard in front of Tiffany & Co, the famous jewelry store on Wall Street.

Three days after the epic Election Night, windows are still protected as the US awaits election results. And if people took the streets in New York to voice their concerns about the ballot counting, no major incidents were reported as of today. 

Workers set up plywood boards on windows on Wall Street ahead of elections on November 3, 2020. Photo by Edith Rousselot

Workers set up plywood boards on windows at 44 Wall Street ahead of elections on November 3, 2020. Photo by Edith Rousselot

Workers set up plywood boards on windows on Wall Street ahead of elections. November 3, 2020. Photo by Edith Rousselot

Skechers on Broadway is boarded up on November 3, 2020 ahead of Election Night. Photo by Edith Rousselot

The Consulate General of the Philippines on 5th Avenue is boarded up ahead of elections. November 3, 2020. Photo by Edith Rousselot

Workers set up plywood boards on windows on 5th Avenue. November 3, 2020. Photo by Edith Rousselot

Bystanders stop by the boarded up windows of Versace and Longchamp stores on 5th Avenue. November 3, 2020. Photo by Edith Rousselot

This is a project of Lori Grinker’s graduate photojournalism class.

Author


Other Stories in Special Report: America Votes

America Celebrates the Election

The staff of Pavement Pieces November 11, 2020

New York celebrates historic win

Thomas Hengge November 8, 2020

BIDEN WINS

Tori Luecking November 7, 2020

Biden win brings relief

Addison Aloian November 7, 2020

The energy of Election Day in New York City

Tori Luecking November 6, 2020

Boarded up, buttons for sale and a Republican viewing party on Election Day in NYC

Michelle Diaz November 6, 2020

Pennsylvania race narrows

Courtney Guarino November 5, 2020

Arab Americans of Dearborn vote Biden

Quratulain Tejani November 4, 2020

Amid national tension and uncertainty, Joe Biden scores big in Michigan.

Sughnen Yongo-Okochi November 4, 2020

Three black women, three walks of life, one presidential election

Jada Okoye November 4, 2020

Voting in Clifton, New Jersey

Kaity Assaf November 3, 2020

Taking the temperature of voters

Journalistic Inquiry November 3, 2020

Students wait and watch

Lana Green November 3, 2020

Students strategize on mail-in or in-person voting 

Lana Green November 3, 2020

Following American politics from the other side of the pond

Lexi Hobbs November 3, 2020

Union Square polling site sees lower turnout, but passionate voters

Yunlai Silvia Gui and Yi Lily Yang November 3, 2020

Early voter visits Texas polling site Election Day to support sister on the ballot

Zoya Hasan November 3, 2020

Voting For The Lesser Of Two Evils

Kirill Bykanov November 3, 2020

NYU student flies over a thousand miles to vote

Addison Aloian November 3, 2020

Two coasts, two Biden votes

Bry Leberthon November 3, 2020

Young voter from Maryland can’t find meaning in the vote

Vanessa Handy November 3, 2020

 Bilingual coordinator in Yonkers, N.Y. helps Spanish-speakers vote

Maria Jinu Kulapurathazhe November 3, 2020

Americans in China Watch and Worry

Jennifer Ren November 3, 2020

To some voters in Stuytown, the president is “deplorable”

Michael Morris November 3, 2020

Election Day

Photojournalism Class Project November 3, 2020

Soho Trump supporter cast his vote

Mengyang Zeng November 3, 2020

Voting in Lower Manhattan

Paola Michelle Ortiz November 3, 2020

New Yorkers on edge as the city prepares for a turbulent election night

Emily Welsch November 3, 2020

Denise Scudder says the stakes are high for Black Voters

Calen Razor November 3, 2020

Brooklyn polling site sees small crowd on Election Day

Alessandro Malave November 3, 2020

First time voter ponders America’s future

Marie Louise Onga Nana November 3, 2020

Masked, Boarded Up, and Subdued: Election Day in Times Square

James Pothen November 3, 2020

NYU student casts ballot for Biden-Harris campaign 

Angela Choe November 3, 2020

New Yorkers are ready to VOTE

Photojournalism Class Project November 3, 2020

West Village streets quiet as voters brace for outcome

Abby Rupert November 3, 2020

Virginia Prepares for a Turbulent Election

Julia Gregory November 3, 2020

The Message of “Law and Order” Resonates with TriBeCa Mother

Michael Campanella November 3, 2020

Latino voter chooses Trump

Emma Shores November 3, 2020

Poll worker keeps it moving

Norah Hogan November 3, 2020

NYU sophomore casts ballot for Biden at dorm polling station

Sofya Akcayoglu November 3, 2020

Elderly black voter does not take the right for granted

Nya Etienne November 3, 2020

A reluctant voter makes a choice

Shivani Chauhan November 3, 2020

Smoke clears over Bay Area as voters take to the polls

Karina Gamez November 3, 2020

Fears of violence in the aftermath of Election Day have citizens uneasy

Mikayla Rivers November 3, 2020

First time voters in Long Island worry about election outcome 

Christina Strippoli November 3, 2020

The pandemic can’t stop Generation Z from voting

Jaeguk Lee November 3, 2020

Trump Tower mail in voter for Biden

Shea Grant November 2, 2020

For some, early voting means long lines and lots of rain

Vaishnavi Naidu November 2, 2020

Harlem sees rain showers, fast lines ahead of Election Day

Hanna Gebremichael November 1, 2020