MIAMI (WSVN) - Stores and businesses are preparing for a possible damaging election aftermath, and in Miami’s Design District, retailers aren’t taking any chances.

Some of these businesses boarded up their windows Monday night.

“It’s shocking,” said Miami resident Kevin O’Bryant.

The boarding of high-end stores like Givenchy, Celine and others is all about protection, should it be needed.

“When I saw them doing it for the first time tonight, I wondered if there was a hurricane coming. That’s what I know the plywood on the windows is for,” O’Bryant said.

“I think it’s honestly a good thing that they’re doing it, I mean better safe than sorry,” said visitor Tyler Lucas. “It’s a very emotional election.”

A possible storm of a different kind is what’s feared here, one of politically-motivated unrest during an especially polarizing, hyper-charged time, as results from the 2020 election could cause havoc.

“It’s really mind-blowing on how we have gotten to a point where we have to take all these measurements and do all this because we really don’t know what’s going to happen with the turnout of people,” said Roberto Ruiz.

“I think it’s really, really smart to have it boarded up. I think that a lot of places are… It’s gonna get crazy pretty soon,” said Ashly Santiago.

Business owners are fearful that if voters aren’t happy with the election results, they could turn to violence.

“There’s crazy people on the right, there’s crazy people on the left who are going to take this as a very contested election and people are very strong on their beliefs,” said visitor Nick Vlahos. “I think it’s smart.”

“We’re doing great so far,” said Miami Police Chief Jorge Colina.

Colina said his police department is ready for anything, but at the moment, there’s nothing to worry about.

“We don’t have any information here that is telling us that something bad is going to happen,” he said.

It’s not just the Design District shops that are preparing for the just-in-case. Ross Dress for Less and Osh Kosk B’Gosh got some exterior reinforcements in Midtown.

It’s the same story for Sunglass Hut on Miami Beach’s Lincoln Road.

“I think it’s honestly a good thing they’re doing that. I mean, better safe than sorry, you know. It’s a very emotional election,” Vlahos said.

Back in the Design District, in some spots, the carpentry continued into the night hours before the big day.

Despite the reinforcements, the shops were still open Tuesday.

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