[Report] "Change Must Come Through the Presidential Election"... Manhattan on Voting Day Is a 'Calm Before the Storm'

Early Voting Impact Leaves Polling Stations 'Deserted'
"At This Rate, the US Will Face an Irreversible Situation," Pro-Democracy Voters Call for Trump Judgment
Stores Install Barriers Amid Post-Election Unrest Concerns, Companies Implement Remote Work

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] On the 3rd, the day of the U.S. presidential election (local time), a polling station was set up on West 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York. When I visited at 1 p.m. that day, only election officials were present, and a silence prevailed. Many voters had already exercised their rights through early voting, and many had visited the polling station early in the morning before going to work. Although signs for lining up and social distancing were placed in front of the polling station, they were meaningless.

The polling stations installed in Manhattan seemed to have fewer voter visits, likely due to early voting. (Photo by Baek Jong-min)

New York State is a region with a strong pro-Democratic Party tendency. Because of this, there is a strong negative perception of Republican President Donald Trump. Voters met at the polling station that day placed more weight on the desire for change than on the current administration. A woman in her 40s, Tae Honey Abushi, who came out after voting, emphasized judgment through the election, saying, "Trump is absolutely unacceptable. He is not qualified to be president." A woman in her 70s met at the polling station also raised her voice, saying, "We must vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for working families."

The voters met at the polling station desire change because of concerns that President Trump is leading American society toward division rather than unity. Abushi criticized, "Trump has completely destroyed the traditional image of an American president. If this continues, America will head to an irreversible place."

However, unlike New York State, in states such as Kentucky, President Trump secured victory early on. More than 100 million American voters completed early voting, reflecting not only voices demanding change but also a psychology that desires stability rather than change. As the number of voters supporting candidate Biden increased, supporters of President Trump responded in kind.

Partition installation work is underway at stores around 5th Avenue in Manhattan. (Photo by Baek Jong-min)

Civilians also feared the aftermath of the election. If one side refuses to accept the results, the possibility of riots and looting cannot be excluded. Eric, a man in his 70s living in New York, said, "It is peaceful now, but I am afraid because I don't know what might happen overnight."

On Manhattan's Fifth Avenue, where luxury brand stores are concentrated, installation of barricades was in full swing that day as well. Not only luxury stores but also eyeglass shops, watch shops, bars, and pharmacies had installed or were installing barricades. Most of these are businesses vulnerable to looting.

A worker installing barricades at a pharmacy said in response to the question, "Is there a lot of work today?" that "All stores are asking to install barricades." The van he pointed to was filled with barricades to be installed. After finishing coverage at the polling station and returning, the barricades at the pharmacy were almost all installed.

Major areas of Manhattan suffered large-scale looting damage during the protests over the death of Black man George Floyd last June. In response, major luxury brands as well as the large department store Macy's had already prepared before the presidential election. Macy's had suffered large-scale looting damage in June. Some stores posted notices on their outer walls indicating that they were operating with barricades in place. Many office workers also refrained from going to work that day due to concerns about protest situations. A Korean-American branch manager of a large corporation with an office in Manhattan said, "I instructed all employees to work from home throughout this week."

On that day, police were controlling the road in front of the Trump Hotel located at Columbus Circle, the entrance to Central Park. When asked "When will the control be lifted?" the police said, "It depends on the (protest) situation." Trump Tower nearby was also under strict police security. This was in preparation for expected protests in case of a victory declaration by President Trump.

The road in front of the Trump Hotel near Central Park is blocked by police vehicles. (Photo by Baek Jong-min)

Bill de Blasio, Mayor of New York, said at a press conference held the day before, "Many people are concerned about the post-election situation, but at this point, there is no specific threat." He said, "We are ready for anything on election day," but few believed this as it was a learning effect from the looting incident last June.

On that day, New York City voters are expected to have difficulty sleeping at night, worrying about who will win and whether riots and looting will occur among store owners.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.