It's TEOTWAWKI!

Stores in Herald Square have started boarding up the windows in case there is unrest in the aftermath of next week's election.

Macy's Herald Square was among the stores looted in early June, during unrest that followed the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. A GameStop in Union Square was vandalized.

Polls have shown that Americans across the country are concerned about post-election violence. A JL Partners-Independent poll found that 72% of voters say they’re concerned about post-election violence. A YouGov survey says 56% of voters expect such unrest after Nov. 3. And a group of scholars who wrote an op-ed for Politico earlier this month said their research shows that about one in three Americans who identify as Democrat or Republican believe violence could be justified to advance their party’s political goals – a substantial increase over the last three years.

At a news conference inside police headquarters last week, NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan said there were no known threats to disrupt the presidential election in the city and he didn't expect any attempts at this point. Officers will be placed at each of the 1,200 polling sites on Election Day. NYPD personnel will staff early voting sites as well and be ready in the days after the election.

"Let me be clear: the NYPD is fully prepared to protect every person's right to vote," Monahan said.

“It is no secret that this election is more contentious than in years past," he added. "For that reason, our plan also includes the ability to respond to any type of incident that may occur."

The NYPD says if election protests are massive or unruly, officers are ready.

Beginning on October 26, hundreds of additional cops have been told to be in uniform and ready if they are needed. Officers have been retraining over the last several months on how to deal with large protests, especially as a result of the rallies that followed George Floyd's death.