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US election office at a school in Virginia, 2016
Photo: REUTERS
Concerns about the appearance of armed civilians in polling stations are being raised in two key states two weeks before the US presidential election.
Michigan officially bans the carrying of firearms within 30 meters of a polling station.
The state's highest electoral officer, Jocelyn Benson, justified her order by saying that this would prevent the intimidation of voters, which is prohibited by law.
In Minnesota, meanwhile, two civil rights groups are taking legal action against a private security firm that is recruiting guards from former military special forces.
According to the job advertisement, they are supposed to protect election offices.
However, the plaintiffs fear voter intimidation.
The battle for the White House this year has been fiercely fierce than in recent US history.
Four years ago, the election results in Minnesota and Michigan were particularly close: Minnesota lost Donald Trump by less than two percentage points, and Michigan won by a fraction of a percentage point.
High profile election campaign in Pennsylvania
The election in the important key state of Pennsylvania is also contested.
Trump wants to appear there on Tuesday evening (local time) in Erie at an election campaign event.
Actually, Melania Trump was supposed to accompany her husband to the First Lady, but she canceled - because of a cough.
One day later the high-profile election campaign in Pennsylvania continues.
Former President Barack Obama will hold his first campaign event on Wednesday in favor of his former deputy Joe Biden.
The first black president in US history will appear at a drive-in event in Philadelphia where the audience will remain in their cars because of the corona pandemic.
Obama, highly respected by the Democrats, had already video messages behind Biden, who had served him as Vice President for eight years.
The 59-year-old has also taken part in online campaign fund-raising events.
US President Trump, who is behind his challenger Biden in most national polls, has already expressed doubts about the election result.
He urged his followers to look out for signs of election fraud.
Independent experts have dismissed Trump's warnings as inapplicable.
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