Washington, D.C. Businesses Boarding Up for Potential Election Day Unrest

Washington, D.C. is bracing itself for trouble ahead of Election Day ... with many businesses boarding up their doors as the final results loom.

Check it out ... outlets including a D.C.-based McDonald's and a Peet's Coffee have already shuttered their windows and storefronts with Election Day less than 24 hours away.

Some are even scrambling today to get plywood up to fortify their walls before any potential unrest unfolds because of the election.

Howard University, the alma mater of Vice President Kamala Harris, has even erected fencing around the D.C. campus ... likely because the presidential hopeful plans to spend Election Night at the famed HBCU.

The VP and the Republican nominee, Donald Trump, find themselves in a deadlocked race heading into Nov. 5 ... with both candidates making final attempts to swing voters to their respective sides as the countdown drags on.

Harris spent part of her weekend making a last-minute appearance on "Saturday Night Live," where she costarred in the opening sketch opposite Maya Rudolph ... who impersonates the VP on the comedy show.

As for Trump, on Sunday, he hit up a rally in Pennsylvania -- a key swing state in the election -- where he made controversial remarks about the assassination attempt on his life in the state.

Polls will close Tuesday evening ... however, it's possible a victor will not be named for some time due to the closeness of the race. In fact, President Joe Biden was not named the winner in the 2020 election until DAYS after the polls closed.