The National Guard has activated in more than a dozen states, deploying more than 250 personnel across the country to support state officials on Election Day, according to the National Guard Bureau (NGB). The 252 personnel now active are in Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, North Carolina, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin and West Virginia. Colorado, Florida, Nevada and Washington, D.C., are on standby for activation with 87 personnel, according to the NGB. The NGB said the activation of the troops is consistent with past election procedures. "They're in general support or in supporting cyber networks," said Ellis Hopkins, deputy chief for current operations at the NGB, in a Monday press call. The activation comes amid a particularly tense election year, with former President Trump, the Republican nominee, already claiming that Democrats are cheating. He has also not pledged to accept the results of the election unless it is “free and fair," spurring fears of election violence or a repeat of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol after Trump refused to concede the 2020 election. At the same time, there are also concerns of mass protests and potentially even riots if Trump wins the election. Trump has survived two assassination attempts this year. Col. John Paul Laurenceau, chief of future operations at the NGB, said they "understand the optics behind this mission." "We do train our guardsmen on how to react, and how to even engage with journalists, and how to how to engage with their population, as they support the population and be able to exercise their First Amendment rights," he added. Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters Monday that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin approved a request for D.C. National Guard troops to support D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services from Election Day through Nov. 13. "It is routine practice for the DoD to authorize the D.C. National Guard to support or augment security for large scale events in the district and activated Guardsmen will remain under the command and control of the D.C. National Guard," Ryder said. In addition to the election support, the D.C. National Guard has also put out a request for support through the presidential inauguration on Jan. 20. Laurenceau said more than two dozen states have signed up and are prepared to support D.C., but details have yet to be finalized. "Now we're just in planning phase, but all the conversations are happening directly with D.C., and National Guard Bureau is just truly a resource for D.C. to ensure they have everything they need to be successful in supporting the president to presidential inauguration," he said.