TEHRAN – As the United States November 3rd presidential election approaches, a U.S. expert tells the Tehran Times that America is standing on the verge of social and political chaos that could erupt after the election.

“Four years ago when Mr. Trump became president, he came to office with the support of some special groups such as White Supremacists, gun lobbies, and neoconservatives who still overwhelmingly support him,” Abouzar Gohari, a U.S. expert, told the Tehran Times. “The point is that if, for any reason, the U.S. election bears results that are different from what Trump wants – i.e. his victory -, these groups will be likely to take to the streets and use their arms. Trump has already rallied his supporters to monitor polling places.”

According to Gohari, mail-in voting could trigger a discord between Democrats and Republicans. Trump has long railed against voting by mail, saying this form of voting paves the way for “massive” voter fraud in favor of his Democratic rival Joe Biden.

“Mail-In Ballots will lead to massive electoral fraud and a rigged 2020 Election. Look at all of the cases and examples that are out there right now, with the Patterson, N.J., being the most recent example. Republicans, in particular, cannot let this happen!” Trump tweeted on July 3.

In late July, Trump repeated his claim that the U.S. election will be rigged.

“This election will be the most rigged election in history” if mail-in voting happens, Trump said in a White House press conference.

“Because of MAIL-IN BALLOTS, 2020 will be the most RIGGED Election in our nation’s history - unless this stupidity is ended. We voted during World War One & World War Two with no problem, but now they are using Covid in order to cheat by using Mail-Ins!” Trump said in a tweet on June 22.

On the other hand, Biden’s supporters view Trump’s claim about voter fraud as a ploy to prevent a higher voter turnout because, they say, the only way for Republicans to win November 3rd elections is to keep prevent people from voting.

“The once-proud Republican Party has determined, correctly, that its only way to prevail in this election is to keep people from voting. Republicans and their allies have devoted some $20 million to wage more than 300 court fights across the country either to strike down election rules that encourage higher voter turnout or to fight lawsuits aimed at easing voting, according to the Center for Public Integrity,” the Washington Post columnist, Dana Milbank, said in an opinion piece published on October 29.

Milbank added, “Republicans have won the popular vote for the presidency only once since 1988, and the Senate Republican majority has for years represented a minority of the population. But they have used this minority rule to stack the judiciary, including six of the nine Supreme Court justices. Now Republican billionaires are financing a legal war to block voting rights — and the judges the minority Republicans installed on the courts are trying to shield Republican power from the will of the people.”

But aside from the will of the people, this election’s methods of voting could shake the U.S., given the current polarization in American society.

Gohari believes that Trump will likely declare himself winner based on votes that are cast in-person in polling places on Election Day, refusing to accept any change in the results even if mail-in ballots prove – at a later time – that he did not win the election.

“If on the election night, Trump secures more votes among the in-person votes and consequently declares victory and then, after counting mail-in ballots it turns out that Biden won the election, Trump will likely announce the election was rigged,” pointed out Gohari, adding that in this scenario Trump’s supporters will likely take to the streets under the pretext of electoral fraud, a move that would plunge the U.S. into chaos.

The expert added, “American society is now chaos-stricken due to structural discrimination. This chaos has spread to nearly 400 cities. It’s like fire under the ashes.”

 According to Gohari, the U.S. is now suffering from many crises such as racial discrimination and the identity crisis and if Trump or even Democrats exacerbate these crises through allegations of voter fraud, the U.S. will be stricken with chaos.

Responding to a question on whether Trump and Biden would accept the results, the expert noted that Biden has made it clear that he will accept them but Trump has refused to clearly say whether he will accept the result, though his aides have suggested that he will accept the outcome of the November election.

“This election is not clear and will be a challenging one due to the method of voting and other factors. No one can predict who will win and whether the loser will accept the results. ”

It seems that American officials are preparing for a wave of riots and violent protests after the November election. In Washington DC, authorities are taking precautionary measures in anticipation of “violent demonstrations,” according to an ABC News report.

“As you walk around America's capital Washington DC, the city looks like it's preparing more for a riot than election parties. Shops are boarding up their windows, authorities are readying their defenses against violent demonstrations, and an 'anti-climb' wall is being built around the White House. Tourists, once able to stand outside the White House fence for a clear view of the historic residence, have been pushed back to surrounding streets, and the view is blocked by barricades and a heavy police presence,” ABC News said.

According to the report, city and law enforcement officials are bracing for two anxiety-inducing scenarios: clashes on the streets and at polling stations.