Controversial S#!T

A professional hotline dedicated to reporting funny business at the polls was inundated with calls alleging voter intimidation this election cycle ... far surpassing anything they saw 4 years ago.

Election Protection is a safe haven for whistleblowers who see something fishy or downright illegal at polling places all over the country -- and according to the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (a nonprofit that manages the hotline) ... 2020 was crazy busy.

A rep for the Lawyers' Committee tells TMZ ... since the month of October, their collection of 40k-plus legal volunteers fielded upwards of 115k calls about potential voter suppression -- which pales in comparison to the total 150k or so calls they got for the ENTIRE year in 2016.

As of this past weekend -- when early voting was in full swing in a majority of states -- we're told EP got a call from out from Hanover, VA about what appeared to be a militia group holding a parade in front of a polling place ... which freaked out some people.

Lawyers' Committee adds that officials on the scene noted there were BLM counter-protesters on hand too -- and that voters were feeling uneasy about the whole thing in general. We're told local authorities were alerted to check it out and make sure nobody was being harassed.

On Tuesday, Lawyers' Committee tells us they received several calls regarding alleged voter intimidation in Florida ... from counties like Hillsborough, Brevard, Palm Beach and more. In Orange County, we're told they got a report of 5 pickup trucks blocking the entrance to a polling place there ... something Election Protection says they flagged to officials.

There are more incidents they were made aware of on Election Day, including pollsters taking temp checks in Virginia -- which some folks thought was meant to keep people from voting -- as well as a heavy reliance on paper ballots, misappropriated voting machines and delayed opening times at polling places in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Ohio and other states.

Joe Biden is feeling good about his chances to win the Presidency -- or at least he did shortly before 1 AM ET, when he addressed his supporters ... but President Trump is saying not so fast.

The former Vice President made his early morning speech in Wilmington, DE, telling the socially-distanced crowd he thinks he's "on track" to get the W ... once all the mail-in ballots and early votes are counted in swing states like Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Biden also tried to warn that final count is gonna take a while. He thanked Americans for being patient ... acknowledging what most experts are saying -- with so many ballots to be counted in multiple states, neither candidate will get to 270 electoral college votes Tuesday night ... or even Wednesday morning.

Joe says his campaign feels really good about its projected early lead in the race for 270 electoral votes, citing Fox News' projected flip of Arizona from red to blue.

Trump is pushing a far different narrative ... the Prez tweeted his campaign is actually winning and he's accusing the Democrats of "trying to STEAL the Election."

Trump's saying votes can't be cast after the polls are closed. He wasn't specific about where that alleged cheating was happening. However, Biden's mainly banking on early voting and mail-in ballots for the bulk of his votes ... so, Trump's beef might be a moot.

Twitter's already flagged the President's tweet as potentially being "misleading" -- which is sure to piss him off even more.

A woman was accosted and harassed by a bevy of Trump supporters ... and her pleas to cops to do something -- after someone allegedly sprayed bear mace at her -- seem to have fallen on deaf ears.

Erika Harris recorded her run-in with the pro-President Trump group Sunday night in Bakersfield, CA ... where she says several of their vehicles blocked her from leaving a parking lot.

As you can see, the angry crowd approached her car and demanded she get out while calling her vulgar names. You even hear one man call her the n-word.

As Harris got outside of her vehicle, she was confronted by a woman who appeared to try to take her phone. Another man appeared to be armed, but took off his weapons and gear ... as he told her to "come get it."

At one point in the video, a man's seen spraying something into her car. She accuses him of spraying her and others with bear mace. When officers showed up, Harris told them about the mace, but none seemed eager to help. One said no crime was committed, and after a sardonic exchange ... simply walked away.

Harris claims the pro-Trump folks have been protesting in her town for the past month, and she decided to set up a Black Lives Matter counter-protest nearby.

Ahmaud Arbery's mother had a face-to-face with President Trump over the killing of her son -- but she still isn't voting for him, as she casts her ballot in the same city where her child was killed.

Wanda Cooper tells TMZ ... she's currently en route to Brunswick, GA to vote -- which is about a 3-hour drive for her. Wanda says she's still registered in Glynn County, but she doesn't live there anymore after relocating the fam in the wake of Ahmaud's death.

Brunswick is the city where Ahmaud was gunned down by the McMichaels in February -- and Wanda tells us it's important she votes there to honor him. As for who she's backing ... Wanda says she's voting for Biden-Harris, and adds Ahmaud would've done the same.

It's interesting ... Wanda actually met with Trump earlier this year to discuss Ahmaud and other race-related issues, and she had a pretty glowing review of how it went afterward.

At the time, Wanda said POTUS was compassionate and receptive to her story ... and the conference appeared to have gone well by most accounts.

But, Wanda doesn't believe he's lived up to a commitment of bridging the racial divide in this country. She says Trump's public comments on BLM and other issues pertaining to the Black community make her feel like what she said to him didn't really help after all.

Enter Biden ... whom Wanda says has won her over with his message of unity, and she believes he'll bring about real change. Moreover, she admires his backing of love and respect -- something she says Ahmaud also valued.

One last thing ... Wanda says Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic hasn't done him any favors, in her eyes. She says he hasn't shown remorse for those who've lost their lives -- another reason she's not backing him.

President Trump is garnering public support from some black celebrities and hip-hop artists, but Claudia Jordan and Too Short want everyone to know they're not part of that group ... despite a very misleading press release.

Here's the deal -- a press release went out Monday about Trump inviting a "prominent group of African-American actors and entertainers" to the White House in December to discuss issues facing the Black community and the President's proposed Platinum Plan.

According to the announcement, the December meeting would be attended by the stars of an upcoming documentary called "Trump vs. Hollywood" -- including rappers Eric B., Money-B, actor Isaiah Washington and the film's director, Daphne Barak. The documentary seems to be very pro-Trump.

That's where Claudia and Too Short come in, as their names are listed as being part of "Trump vs. Hollywood" alongside names of some well-known Trump supporters ... like Kid Rock, Dean Cain and Scott Baio.

It definitely reads like all of the celebs are endorsing the Prez, but as both the 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' star and the rapper point out ... that's not the case.

They both say they were asked to do an interview by Barak and agreed to it, but in no way does that mean they support Trump. Claudia says the film director presented it as talking to people on both sides of the political aisle.

Too Short adds that he's about to go vote -- NOT for Trump -- and says in the past few weeks he's also been asked to fly to D.C. to meet with Trump or hop on a phone call with someone on his team.

He says he rejected both offers and, without naming names, throws some serious shade at fellow rappers who have taken the Trump meeting for what he believes is just a photo op.

Too Short's claim echoes what Rich The Kid recently said too -- that Trump tried to send him a private jet to fly him to his Michigan rally to buy his support.

The Beverly Hills Police Dept. is mobilizing its entire force, and a lot more, and they've been out showing what they got every day since Saturday ... much to the dismay of surrounding law enforcement agencies ... that think Beverly Hills is essentially inviting violence this week.

The Beverly Hills City Council voted to pour $4.8 million into security around the election. They have hired SWAT members from Santa Paula, armed private security companies, and additional equipment to protect the city and its 35,000 residence from violence.

There is lots of equipment too, including armored SWAT vehicles, guns and plenty of them.

The City Council authorized the police to initiate "the full deployment of sworn and non-sworn staff to work rotating 12-hour shifts" beginning last Saturday and the Police Chief and the Mayor have said the show of force will continue through this week. The idea, presumably, is to make sure everyone sees Bev Hills means business, so people gunning for violence should stay clear of the City. As TMZ reported, there was a massive presence on the streets this weekend, with armored vehicles and armed cops everywhere.

The scene was repeated Monday with a similar show of force.

Here's the problem. High up sources from LAPD and other law enforcement agencies tell TMZ they are shocked BHPD is out on the streets with a show of force ahead of the election. As one very high up law enforcement source told us, "This is like waving a red flag in front of a bull. The City is essentially challenging people to come to the City to confront authority." That source said the City Council may have had good intentions, but the show of force will actually make the City unsafe if looting or rioting occurs.

There were big, dueling anti-fascist and pro-Trump rallies in Bev Hills over the weekend, and it got so tense cops declared the protests unlawful assembly. Police came out in riot gear to break things up.

There have been a number of demonstrations in Beverly Hills over the last 5 months, so there's reason for the BHPD to be on high alert, but law enforcement officials from other agencies say it's one thing to be ready, and another to show the world the scope of police presence with armored vehicles and cops in riot gear.

A Beverly Hills spokesperson tells TMZ, "The City of Beverly Hills has been a specific target for demonstrations and protests. The City is taking steps to ensure it remains safe."

There's deep concern for what will happen tonight and beyond in the streets of America, regardless of who wins the Presidential election, and we've learned the feds have spent millions to protect the candidates and the building they want to live in.

According to federal docs obtained by TMZ, the Secret Service has dished out $2.6 million in security expenses to protect Donald Trump and Joe Biden tonight -- money earmarked for contractors who specialize in setting up secure perimeters at political events.

One company, Arcus Group LLC, is raking in $988,788 to secure the perimeter of the White House on Election Night. Another company, Showcall Security Services will collect $1.6 mil to keep Joe Biden safe in Delaware Tuesday night.

Each company will construct barriers and walls to keep people out. As you've seen by now, the perimeter of The White House has already been fortified.

Cities across the U.S. are also preparing for the worst ... businesses from Washington D.C. to Beverly Hills have been boarded up out of fear of potential unrest. Police forces have beefed up their operations as well, bringing in additional officers and reinforcements.

The man who recorded the video of Ahmaud Arbery's slaying says he should be let out of jail on bond because he's less of a threat than the ones who DID get bond in the George Floyd and Breonna Taylor cases.

William "Roddie" Bryan's lawyer filed legal docs essentially saying it's not fair he's been stuck behind bars since his arrest on May 21. In docs, obtained by TMZ, Bryan argues it's "manifestly unjust that the alleged killers of George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks and Breonna Taylor have all been granted bond while Roddie Bryan, "armed only with a cell phone and located more than 50 feet away from Mr. Arbery at the time of the shooting, languishes in the Glynn County Detention Center."

It should be noted with respect to the Breonna Taylor killing ... 3 anonymous grand jurors have gone public and said the Kentucky Attorney General's Office did NOT present them any attempted murder charges, murder charges or manslaughter charges. Remember, ex-cop Brett Hankison and the 2 other cops involved in Breonna's death were not charged with shooting and killing Breonna. Instead, Hankison was only indicted for firing his weapon into an apartment neighboring Breonna's.

As for George Floyd ... ex-cop Derek Chauvin was recently released on $1 million bond. Chauvin was the last of the 4 accused cops still in custody. As we reported, the other 3 -- Alexander Keung, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao -- were released some time ago.

Garrett Rolfe -- the ex-Atlanta cop who shot and killed Rayshard Brooks during his arrest in a Wendy's parking lot -- is also out on bond and recently sued to get his job back.

Bryan's lawyer argues his client poses no significant risk of fleeing from the jurisdiction of the court and poses no significant threat or danger to any person or the community. The lawyer also claims there's additional witnesses who have come forward willing to testify in support of Bryan's bond request ... including his daughter.

A guy in Montana thought it'd be a great idea to war a Ku Klux Klan outfit for Halloween -- and, apparently, so did the people at the bar who voted him as having the best costume.

This happened in Glasgow, MT Saturday night, where witnesses say this guy was bar hopping around town and stopped at a joint called Sam & Jeff's. Patrons there loved his homage to hatred and awarded him the grand prize for the bar's costume contest.

Lots of people took photos of him, naturally and it's stirred outrage in the community. Many people are calling out Sam & Jeff's, and another bar, Dink's, which allowed him to wear the KKK getup.

The backlash had an impact. The man under the hood has identified himself as Luke Morehouse, and he apologized on Facebook ... as did the owner of Sam & Jeff's.

The bar owner, Sam Knodel, says he's deeply sorry for the "distasteful and offensive actions" that went down at his place of business. He adds that although Halloween's full of offensive costumes, this one crossed the line ... and should not have infiltrated the bar on their watch.

As for the contest, Knodel explains that the bar flies were the ones who deemed him the winner ... and that in no way reflects the views of himself or his partners.

Morehouse also apologized -- albeit somewhat in an ass-backward way. He admits his costume was offensive and disgusting, and didn't think of the repercussions. While saying sorry to those he offended, he also says in the same breath, "What started as an innocent costume escalated and there are no excuses for it and I can not take that back."

One of the co-founders of the Black Lives Matter chapter in New York was arrested this weekend ... and the takedown is on video.

Hawk Newsome was on the front lines of a protest in NYC Sunday, where BLM demonstrators were reportedly facing off with Trump supporters in the streets ... with cops in riot gear in the mix as well. At one point, Newsome came face-to-face with several officers.

In the clip, it looks like he has his hands up and isn't resisting or posing an immediate threat before a bunch of cops force him to the ground in an aggressive manner. After that, it appears a bunch of those same officers dog pile him while they try to throw on cuffs.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... Hawk -- whose real name is Walter -- was arrested for misdemeanor obstructing governmental administration, as well as two counts of disorderly conduct. We're told police gave him multiple orders to disperse because he and his crew were allegedly blocking traffic, but he refused to do so.

Our sources say Hawk also allegedly pushed the officers and told them to get their hands off him, which is what ultimately triggered the arrest. He was given a desk appearance ticket and released.

President Trump is reportedly gearing up to prematurely declare himself the winner of Tuesday night's election if he gets an early lead ... but Kamala Harris has other plans.

Axios published a story Sunday, claiming sources in Trump's inner circle have heard he's actively making plans to call himself the definitive winner if it looks like he's ahead of Joe Biden in a handful of key states -- namely, Ohio, Florida, Texas, Arizona and other key holdings.

The report says Trump has spoken to people in his camp and ran the scenario of him walking up to the podium and claiming victory ... even if all the votes aren't counted yet.

Well, to that Kamala basically says ... PSSSHHH, PLEASE! Reporters asked the Democratic VP-hopeful about the story Sunday, and she told them Trump wouldn't even have the opportunity to do that, because she and Joe Biden plan on cleaning up nationwide.

She says, "Well, first of all, we plan to decisively win this election. So, I don't, I don't think we're going to need to get to that point." Well said ... sounds like she's confident.

Still, if the Axios report is true and Trump follows through ... it sounds like this election is going to be hotly contested, and a winner will likely not be announced Tuesday -- assuming it's close. Remember, the 2016 election wasn't called until very late in the night.

Beverly Hills may be an omen of what's coming next week, because things got crazy on the streets and cops started swinging their billy clubs at both Anti-Fascist and Pro-Trump demonstrators.

SWAT teams, local police officers and private security were deployed all throughout Bev Hills Saturday in anticipation of major unrest over the next few days. City officials had already announced they'd be doing this -- along with shutting down ritzy Rodeo Drive -- but it appears they wanted to get the muscle out well ahead of time to set a tone.

Check out these shots we got of armored trucks lining the streets, with officers in full tactical gear ... ready to rock and roll if s*** hits the fan. Not only that, but several different shops, storefronts and boutiques along Rodeo were doing a full board-up blitz as well.

Might've been a good move to get the ball rolling on this, because as it turns out ... there are dueling protests happening nearby right now, and violence appears to already be breaking out between anti-fascists and Trump supporters. The former were seen marching toward the latter near the famous Beverly Hills Sign in Beverly Gardens Park. Apparently, these clashing demonstrations have become a regular thing around there, especially lately.

We've got eyes on the ground ... and we're told cops are already breaking up some of the fights, which is leading to more aggressive behavior and violence by default. One of our brave photogs, Melanie, even got shoved to the ground by a cop -- which you see in our clip -- this just seconds after they declared the protests unlawful assemblies and started dispersing the crowds.

A group of Trump supporters on the outskirts of Austin reportedly ran a Biden campaign bus out of town after trying to hold an event there ... and, apparently, it got pretty scary.

A few Democratic lawmakers -- who were riding in the Biden bus and hoping to stump for JB and Kamala Harris in Pflugerville, TX on Friday -- tweeted out the frightening encounter as it was unfolding ... claiming they had to abandon their plans for security reasons.

Those reasons, according to them, amounted to a small caravan of Trump supporters who'd been following them along their stops in Texas, and who allegedly harassed the bus when it made a stop near the Austin area. One local politician, Rafael Anchia, even claimed some of the Trumpers were armed, and appeared to be threatening the group inside if they stayed.

Some have claimed the President's own sons were somehow responsible for inciting the crowd to do this, but it's unclear where those accusations stem from. In any case, the trouble didn't stop after the bus decided to get outta Dodge ... because the same group that was protesting them on the ground reportedly hopped in their own pickups ... and gave chase!

There's a bunch of different videos that show at least three to four Trump-flag bearing vehicles tailing the Biden bus along I-35 for a good while, and getting awfully close. A Biden campaign spokesperson even reportedly said the convoy attempted to run the bus "off the road," and was creating a dangerous situation on the freeway for surrounding cars.

In one of the videos, you see a few trucks surround the bus and attempt to slow it down. It's pretty freaky -- but luckily, it doesn't sound like anyone was harmed ... and the Biden campaign was eventually able to get law enforcement to step in and escort them to safety.

Three's company when it comes to Breonna Taylor grand jurors calling out Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who they say never even gave them a chance to consider manslaughter or murder charges against police.

A third juror spoke out Friday, affirming what two other anonymous jurors previously told CBS News' Gayle King ... the AG's office did NOT present them any attempted murder charges, murder charges or manslaughter charges.

This anonymous juror says they decided to come forward after much reflection, and the juror "firmly supports the fact that no additional charges were allowed at the conclusion of their service" ... according to the juror's legal team.

As we reported ... the other 2 grand jurors -- one white and one Black -- say they felt like Cameron betrayed them when he said the grand jury agreed on the minor charge against Officer Hankinson, for wanton endangerment, was the only charge warranted in the case.

AG Cameron has said, if the grand jurors wanted to consider more charges they could have, but this third juror is saying that wasn't the case. Just like the other 2 ... they're calling Cameron a liar.

Walmart's anticipating civil unrest ahead of the presidential election ... and that's triggered the retail giant to stop pull guns and ammo from shelves.

The nation's biggest retailer has pulled the items from its stores in an effort to keep firearms and ammo from being stolen in the event there's civil unrest. A spokesperson for Walmart said, "We have seen some isolated civil unrest, and as we have done on several occasions over the last few years, we have moved our firearms and ammunition off the sales floor as a precaution for the safety of our associates and customers."

It's important to note ... customers can still buy guns and ammo in half of the 4,700 stores where they're available, they just have to request it. The firearms just aren't on display for now.

Walmart made a similar move back in June following George Floyd's death. It's unclear how long the store will keep guns and ammo out of store displays.

President Trump's putting a label on Lil Wayne that doesn't always come to mind ... calling the rapper an "activist" after their now infamous pow wow.

Trump's feeling really good about Weezy's endorsement ... outside the White House Friday morning he said Wayne's a "really nice guy" and "an activist in a very positive way."

Wayne's been called a lot of things due to his enormous success in the music biz, but activist is definitely not one of 'em.

As you know ... Tunechi met with POTUS Thursday, sharing a photo of them grinning together and giving a thumbs up. Weezy says he's endorsing Trump because of his track record on criminal justice reform, and says he's a fan of Trump's Platinum Plan.

Remember, Ice Cube worked with Trump's camp on the plan, which vows to pump $500 BILLION into Black communities while providing better access to jobs and education.

Trump says Wayne asked for the meeting and he obliged ... and he seems more than happy with Weezy's endorsement.

Wayne's already drawing criticism for the meeting, which came 5 days before Election Day. 50 Cent, who previously endorsed Trump because of taxes before changing course, ripped Weezy for the Trump photo op.

Lil Wayne, Weezy, Weezy F. Baby, Tunechi, Weezyana, Lil Tune, Birdman Jr., President Carter, Mr. Carter, Dr. Carter, BM Jr., Young Weezy -- all monikers we've heard, but Lil Wade???