Several prominent DC businesses are planning to close for election day or week, citing concern about chaos, violence, or disruption stemming from the November 3 presidential contest. Other businesses may follow. According to a representative from the Downtown DC Business Improvement District, some are apparently waiting to make a call a bit closer to election day.
Fannie Mae, the government mortgage behemoth, says its downtown office will be closed all of next week “out of an abundance of caution” to be prepared for “any potential disruptions associated with the [election],” per an email sent out to employees. Likewise, the conservative advocacy group FreedomWorks won’t allow staff in its NoMa office on election night out fear of harm against its workers.
Election-related violence has not been a factor in Washington before. The DC Mayor’s office—which says it has not heard any credible threats of violence around the election—has said there is no current need for businesses to shut. But some storefronts have boarded up in parts of downtown as well as in Georgetown, Kalorama, U Street, Van Ness, and Cathedral Heights.
Here are some images from across the city.
@PoPville u street is getting reinforcements pic.twitter.com/1OvvDgwwtM
— Holly Gerrity (@Holly_Gerrity) October 30, 2020
Boarding up going on in DC all around Convention Center and Farragut North (pictured) pic.twitter.com/ceX0IKMwuQ
— Kristen Hinman (@kristenhinman) October 30, 2020
Boarding up in Van Ness. pic.twitter.com/R8U2jd1DMG
— Noam Blum (@neontaster) October 30, 2020
Yes, downtown DC is boarding up – I took these pictures last night along several blocks of New York Ave pic.twitter.com/tZ9scDSdaW
— Elizabeth Landers (@ElizLanders) October 30, 2020
Even hospitals are boarding up before the Election Day in Washington. pic.twitter.com/qyCq3z99Xw
— Ruslan Moldovanov (@Revolov) October 30, 2020
Washington DC is boarding up shopfronts, preparing for election destruction. This is the 3rd time they’ve done this since June. pic.twitter.com/eQc8lhe30L
— David Lipson (@davidlipson) October 27, 2020
Luxury shops in DC are boarding up in anticipation of the election. pic.twitter.com/3VMVkvoMsG
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) October 29, 2020
Took a walk downtown… they are boarding up the area around the White House (again). Guess I need to get ready to protest next week! #Election2020 pic.twitter.com/9hENUwbBnU
— Jasen Andersen (@jasenandersen) October 30, 2020
Wine store in Washington DC boarding up. pic.twitter.com/0IoLxewU1u
— CIA-Simulation Warlord ?????? (@zerosum24) October 30, 2020
Jane is a Chicago transplant who now calls Cleveland Park her home. Before joining Washingtonian, she wrote for Smithsonian Magazine and the Chicago Sun-Times. She is a graduate of Northwestern University, where she studied journalism and opera.
