The closer we get to Election Day, the more the question becomes inescapable: What happens after Election Day?

In the aftermath of the 2020 election, then-President Donald Trumps quest to hold on to power, first by challenging his loss and then by an ever-increasing pressure campaign on those responsible for confirming the results, culminated in a historic act of political violence: the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Now, coming up to the finish line of the next presidential election, there are indications that Americans are again worried about the possibility of political violence.

In a Scripps News/Ipsos poll released Oct. 24, 62% of Americans surveyed said that violence related to the election was somewhat or very likely , with a majority of both Republicans (59%) and Democrats (70%) agreeing that was the case.

There have already been worrying instances of actual violence against people and processes as the election draws near: Ballot boxes have been set on fire in several states , and there have been threats of violence at polling stations . And there have been two apparent assassination attempts against Trump.

U.S. intelligence has also warned about the possibility of violence and unrest. Reports from various news publications revealed that intelligence agencies, including the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, had sent local law enforcement agencies a number of bulletins warning that domestic violent extremists were a threat to the election and its aftermath, with candidates, election workers and others considered targets. The bulletins also warned of violence at polling places, ballot boxes and political events, according to NBC News.

If theres a very close election, there are a lot of people who are feeling extremely angry or extremely threatened, and particularly if its looking like Trump loses, he has supporters who are likely to engage in a lot of threats and intimidation and possibly some physical violence, said Rachel Kleinfeld, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a nonpartisan think tank.

The rhetoric that Trump, at least, has used on the campaign trail hasnt helped. The Republican presidential nominee has said he would prosecute his political enemies and would use the military to quash protests , and he has consistently used violent language when talking about groups he disparages the migrant invasion that is poisoning the blood of America, for example.

And perhaps most important, he has already been laying the groundwork to once again question the validity of the election if he loses. Which, in the very likely event of a close election that could takes a few days to determine, could be a hazard.

The uncertainty is probably the biggest risk factor, Kleinfeld said. Obviously, if we get a strong turnout and everybody clearly knows who won, that would be wonderful. But the likelihood is a lot of litigation, dissension and mis- and dis-information.

The presidential race is uncomfortably close . Polls have Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, neck and neck, often either in a dead tie or within a percentage point or two of each other. And there are many indications that, barring an (unlikely) early landslide of results, Americans probably wont know who won until several days after the election.