Images of burning ballot drop boxes from a fire set in Seattle have ricocheted across the county, while emotions are already at an all-time high.
"We know that the environment is very fraught and volatile right now. We know that. How's that gonna manifest itself, we don't know," said Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart.
Dart is preparing his officers for any possibility of violence.
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From the political side, Dart sent a bipartisan letter to other sheriffs in the state warning "a great number of our citizens will be deeply disappointed in this election's outcome, requiring us to remain vigilant and vocal in our opposition to political violence.
The riot at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 after the 2020 election is seen as an example of the dissatisfaction of many supporters of former president Donald Trump, who claims the election was stolen from him. But political scientist Robert Pape said research shows the potential for violence is equally strong from Democrats concerned about Trump being elected.
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"You are seeing high numbers of support for political violence on both the right and the left. And it's why we are in a season where we have to be concerned about political violence," he said.
Pape said recent events including the assassination attempts on Trump are further evidence of the threat of violence that has become real. And he said it's why the politicians should tone down their rhetoric and law enforcement officers need to be prepared to deal with any violence that emerges, despite not knowing of any specific threats at this time.
"It's very scary from a law enforcement standpoint. It makes it so you really need to be on your toes," Dart said.
Dart and others said the threat of violence will not end on Election Day. In fact, they said the threats could increase regardless of which side wins.