On Tuesday, November 3rd, Los Angeles Police Department preemptively announced a citywide tactical alert. L.A Sheriff’s Department had done the same the previous Sunday. Both law enforcement agencies were preparing for possible unrest during the election. Black Lives Matter Los Angeles hosted a celebratory all-day election viewing party which was interrupted when LAPD stormed in and violently apprehended 6 people for wearing all black.

On Election Day, BLM LA hosted a ‘Marathon Party At the Polls’ at the Staples Center. Organizers of the event arrived at six a.m.; setting up a stage, refreshment tables, canopies, and a television. The mood was celebratory and energized. There had been months of ‘Get out to Vote’ and ‘March to the Polls’ rallies which resulted in hundreds of voters unifying to drop off mail-in ballots together. During the day, the group of about fifty danced and sang, while others voted in-person a few hundred feet away at the polling location. Los Angeles Police Department preemptively declared a tactical alert for election night and had every officer available.