Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during their campaign rallies on November 4, 2024. [AFP]

It now has wrought-iron fencing, barbed wire, armed guards and a SWAT presence on the roof, according to officials.

"Since January of 2021, our office has increased badge security access, installed permanent barriers, and added additional cybersecurity measures based on the recommendations of law enforcement and other experts," Taylor Kinnerup, communications director for the Maricopa County Recorder's Office, told AFP on Monday.

Layers of security

Pennsylvania's Department of State, which oversees elections in the nation's largest swing state, said its preparation includes defences of infrastructure and partnerships with security and law enforcement agencies, although it did not provide details.

The new layers of security follow the election chaos from 2020, particularly after Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol building on January 6, 2021, aiming to halt certification of the election results that confirmed Joe Biden as the winner.

Officials are also warning of major cyber and hacking threats, particularly from abroad.

Russia, Iran and China are conducting influence operations to undermine American confidence in election legitimacy and "stoke partisan discord," Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency director Jen Easterly recently told NBC News.

This "firehose of disinformation," she added, is "creating very real physical threats to election workers."

Meanwhile, in Washington, high metal fencing has been erected around the vice president's residence and the White House, and some shopfronts have been boarded up.

"There will be no tolerance for violence in our city," DC Police Chief Pamela Smith told reporters Monday.

"Should it require additional time to know the results of this election, we want everyone to know that we are ready to handle many different scenarios, and we have the right people in place to keep our city safe," she said.