Ace Bennett-Fludd has bad memories of what happened last time Donald Trump lost an election, and fears a similar aftermath in Georgia if the latest White House race doesn’t go the former president’s way.
“I would not want to hear another story about riots happening and people being hurt,” Bennett-Fludd, a married resident of Hapeville, located south of downtown Atlanta, told Capital B Atlanta. “I’m not trying to go into a space where violence may happen, but me and my partner, we do own guns. We make sure that we remain safe.”
The 34-year-old Bennett-Fludd is one of many Black Georgians who have expressed concerns about potential political violence breaking out on or after Election Day. Memories of the Jan. 6 insurrection — when Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., in an attempt to prevent Congress from declaring Joe Biden the rightful victor of the 2020 presidential election — also linger in the mind of Savannah State University student Makiyah Bailey.
“That was quite frightening and really just didn’t really seem real,” Bailey said. “To have [Trump] unite that many people for a cause that was not all the way factual was very troubling for me.”
Preserving democracy was the top concern for Black Georgians surveyed in a University of Georgia/Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll conducted in October. Many worry Trump will follow through with apparent threats to use the U.S. military to target “the enemy within,” and weaponize federal law enforcement divisions to punish his political adversaries.
On Oct. 22, Trump’s ex-White House chief of staff, John Kelly, characterized the former president as a fascist who is unfit for office. He’s the latest former Trump senior staffer and Republican to raise concerns about Trump’s apparent autocratic ambitions.
Nearly 70% of Americans say they feel anxious or frustrated about the 2024 presidential campaign, according to an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll conducted in late October.
Those concerns are bipartisan for people like State Election Board member Janelle King. King is one of the Republicans who received praise from Trump in August after advancing a set of controversial election rules that ultimately were thrown out by a Fulton County Superior Court judge.
King told Capital B Atlanta that she worries about both Trump and Harris supporters lashing out if they don’t like the results of Tuesday’s pivotal presidential election.
“We’ve seen violent supporters on both sides of the aisle,” King wrote via text message. “I’m concerned about the lack of emotional maturity that has been on display by supporters. Nothing anyone else does should control your actions or behavior. People who become violent because of the actions of others have a real problem that’s much deeper than politics.”
Metro Atlanta community activist Keyanna Jones said she has heard some people who run in her progressive political circles express a desire to protest if Trump gets reelected, due to concerns they have about alleged voter suppression and America descending into overt fascism.
“I have a strong feeling that people are going to hit the streets if Trump wins again,” Jones said. “There are too many issues right now with the voter registration system and the sanctity of somebody’s voter registration.”
But Jones also clarified that she doesn’t expect potential left-wing demonstrators will be violent.
“If progressives get out and protest, it’s not going to be anything that looks like Jan. 6,” she said. “We’re not trying to set anything on fire. We’re not trying to maim or kill anyone. People just want their voices heard to let people know they don’t agree [with Trump being the next president].”
Keeping Atlantans safe
State and local election officials say they’ve been working with regional law enforcement throughout Georgia to prepare for potential political violence after the election.
Secretary of state spokesman Mike Hassinger told Capital B Atlanta that his office does not anticipate the need for additional security measures following the election, but they have coordinated with several state and federal agencies, as well as local law enforcement, election offices, and first responders to ensure Election Day is safe and secure.
“We take election security very seriously for this and every election in Georgia,” Hassinger wrote in an emailed statement.
The Atlanta Police Department says Fulton County law enforcement is in charge of local election security, but city police are also prepared to provide assistance if necessary.
“The Atlanta Police Department is ready to respond to any illegal acts in the city,” the department wrote in an emailed statement.
Georgia State Patrol says “extra manpower will be available if needed” on Election Day.
“The Georgia Department of Public Safety will perform security checks of polling locations and assist local cities and counties with security measures as requested or deemed necessary,” a representative for the state police wrote via email.
The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office said in an emailed statement that it “will be ready to respond to any requests for assistance.”
