National Guard troops stand guard inside of a fenced area that surrounds several government buildings on August 27, 2020, in Kenosha, Wisconsin. (Image: Getty Images)
Armed militia are prepared to take to the streets in the United States as the country prepares for election day.
Current polling shows a lead for Democratic candidate Joe Biden but Donald Trump has urged his supporters to watch for evidence of 'fraud' at the polls.
The President continues to sow doubts about the veracity of an election that he is facing long odds to win.
Trump's critics and non-partisan groups have criticized Trump's call for pollwatchers as simply part of an effort to intimidate voters (a lower turn out would be seen as advantageous to Trump's reelection chances).
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Militia groups have warned they would march with their guns if there were signs voter fraud affected the result, raising fears of violent clashes between left and right groups.
Trump has insisted he might declare victory on election night, even if the results of the close-run contest have not been officially declared.
He has also slammed the decision for officials in Pennsylvania to be allowed to continue to count votes after election day, a common practice in the US.
Josh Ellis, 40, who runs a website coordinating right-wing militia, said there were as many as 100,000 in groups across the country.
He told The Sun : "No one is showing up in full battle-rattle with AR-15s. They will be watching out for fraud and intimidation.
"Afterwards, we will have to see what happens. I can see the left coming out to the streets if they don’t get their way and the right coming out if there is conclusive evidence of fraud."
According to Wayne Hall, spokesman for the National Guard Bureau at the Pentagon, the troops will have various missions including protecting cybersecurity.
In Washington DC, fencing and soldiers have placed around the White House over fears of violence on the streets in the event of a disputed result.
Today, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed an executive order activating 1,000 National Guard troops.
Thomas Turco, the state's Security Secretary, said: "There is no indication of any public safety risk in Massachusetts.
"Just as the Administration does for all major events, we have made additional resources available should local leaders request them."
In the swing state of Wisconsin, which Trump narrowly won in 2016, around 400 troops will serve as poll workers.
