Public security

Mass violence remains unlikely, but close US election would portend isolated protests and terrorist acts

With polls tightening, the prospect of violence between each presidential candidates' supporters has begun to increase.

On 28 October, FBI director James Comey announced he would reopen an investigation into the private email server of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton after originally closing the enquiry earlier this summer. The announcement has led to a tightening of the polls between Clinton and her Republican opponent, businessman Donald Trump. Previously, Trump has said he would contest the results of the election if he believed Democratic leaders had "rigged it", leading some to believe that violent protests could emerge between his supporters and Clinton's following his or her defeat.

The run-up to the 8 November election has seen a number of violent incidents by supporters of both political parties on a level not witnessed since 1968, or at the height of the Vietnam War. These included clashes between supporters and protesters at political rallies (11 March in Chicago, 28 May in San Diego), as well as a 16 October arson attack against the local Republican offices in Hillsborough, North Carolina.