♪ a reminder, abc news will be on the air on election night next week. live coverage with our powerhouse political team starting at 7:00 eastern, 6:00 central, 4:00 p.m. out west tuesday. that's "nightline" for this evening. see you right back here tomorrow, same time. thanks for the company, america. good night.

boards like this going up all across san francisco, as we get closer to the election.

i'll tell you where and how law enforcement is preparing. voters in oakland got a surprise today as a group of people on horseback came to drop off their ballots. the last-minute push to get out the vote. a local grandfather, putting his tools to good use. building a better bay area for low-income students. bright and sunny today. find out if there will be spooky surprises this halloween weekend. abc news at 11, begins right now. >> building a better bay area for a safe and security future. we're worried about the extreme elements that want to do violence and harm people. >> tonight, the bay area is preparing for potential post-election unrest. local law enforcement increasing staffing and coordinating with the fbi. businesses, as you can see, are boarding up. >> abc 7 news j.r. stone is in san francisco where nervous business owners are preparing. >> i never experienced something

like this in my life. >> reporter: in the past 24 to 48 hours, wood boards have gone up around buildings in san francisco, one of many safety measures we're seeing all across the bay area, as we approach election day. >> we live here. we're care about local businesses and we care about everybody around here. >> a lot of people coming off of the george floyd protests and some of that civil unrest are sensitive to that. that's why we may be seeing businesses and community members boarding up businesses and other structures. >> reporter: it's unclear if violence will break out in any communities across the country before or after election day. but in alameda county, sergeant ray kelly says they will be watching the left and right extremist groups after votes are cast. >> we're worried about the extreme elements that actually want to do violence and harm people, especially law enforcement officers, out there doing their job. >> reporter: those with the fbi, tell us their san francisco field office has opened a

command center to work with local authorities and the private sector, concerning online threats. the biggest problem this year, going into election day has been disinformation from overseas. >> we saw back in 2016, it was primarily russia. now, we see china and iran get into the game. obviously, the threat has grown. >> reporter: assistant special agent in charge, sanjay vemani says they have taken online domains down. j.r. stone, abc 7 news. walmart is pulling guns and ammunition from its sales floor in some stores because of fears of election unrest. the retailer says it made this decision for the safety of its staff and customers. walmart took similar measures in june over protests of the deadly arrest over george floyd. nearly 2 million voters of the bay area's nine counties have cast their votes. alameda county is running with

408,000 ballots returned. a group of voters on horseback turned some heads in oakland today. they're calling it the ride out the vote campaign. matt boone is in oakland and shows us they're not the only ones trying to increase voter turnout. the horses were a curious sight as they walked up to the alameda county courthouse. that was exactly the point. >> our voices are not going to be heard if we don't make the effort to go vote. and there's some folks out there who are making it really hard for people. and so, we want folks have that fight in them. >> reporter: nia is a volunteer with humble, a nonprofit, that uses horses for outreach in urban areas, founded by briana a noble. she went viral for riding her horse during the black lives matter protests. >> we have one. >> we're inspiring other people that may not have voted before to get out by any means necessary. that means by car, by bike, by

skateboard, or for me, by horse. >> reporter: across oakland, efforts have been made to increase turnout in areas with historically low voter participation. >> in the last month or so, we've knocked on about 5,000 doors in district six specifically in oakland. we know that these efforts are really important to motivate people to vote. >> reporter: karen is an organizer with the martin luther king freedom center. along with door knocking, her team has been phone banking and hand ought flyers. she says, all it takes is one conversation. >> we know it's really, really important to have different people in the community talk to other members in the community. >> reporter: in oakland, matt boone, abc 7 news. the contra costa county elections office has confirmed a case of lost ballots, about 40 of them. the office does not suspect foul play. but in this election year, any lost vote takes on added significance, of course. some of the ballots were put in a drop box at richmond city hall more than two weeks ago.

one voter checked the county website to see if his ballot was received. it had not been. he connected the elections office to find out why. >> we searched everywhere. we reviewed our practices. we reviewed our logs. the machine logs scanning the ballots. to be honest, we don't know what happened. >> they're looking into it. every person with a missing ballot has the opportunity to vote again, you should know. we would like to know how voting is going for you. you can share your experience, during you your voting process, dropping off your ballot or voting in person, in a form we have on our web site. go to abc7news.com/election. the ceo of the south bay chamber of commerce group has resigned because of a campaign ad that some are calling racist. in the outgoing message, he said the ad does not represent him or the organization's board.

a issalano county area is a person to be believed to be sick with covid-19 and the flu. public health officials say the person is under 65. they are urging everyone to get a flu shot just as soon as possible to reduce the risk of co-infection. >> your body will be battling two viruses, not just one. and we worry for people with underlying health conditions or people who are otherwise fragile, this combination can be very, very serious. >> the patient is also solano county's first flu case. health officials are testing respiratory samples for covid-19 and the flu. a grandfather is taking on the responsibility of building a better bay area literally. les has spent the last week building desks for low-income students to help with distance learning. we will look at the man behind

this effort. >> reporter: 80-year-old les is putting together dozens of desks for bay area students. he's purposing the lumber, cutting it up, sanding it down and starting assembly. >> in a week, i'm looking at about 15. so, that will be three a day. >> reporter: a one-man team, taking after this group in maryland, featured recently on "world news tonight." the idea is to provide free desks to low-income students during the pandemic. >> when david muir aired this, my wife said to me, you can build anything. you should do this. >> reporter: he's already familiar with woodworking and serving others. precovid, the retiree designed and made toy dogs, donating them to children's hospitals in northern california. >> that program had to be stopped for a short period of time until covid is over with because hospitals aren't accepting outside gifts. >> reporter: his focus, now, finishing he's decemb ining the.

each costs about $65 in materials. his first delivery is scheduled for monday, meeting the requests of students in need within a 40-mile radius. pittsburg, bay point, concord. and the next delivery would probably be as far away as san jose. >> reporter: he isn't on social media. but his family has helped spread the word. also completing this gofundme campaign as he continues to build a better bay area. >> you can find a link to the gofundme for grandpa's kindness workshop on our website, abc7news.com. >> we love les. good for him. that's remarkable. still to come, santa in a snow globe? visits to old st. nick get a pandemic makeover for a safer christmas. plus, drive of the dead. see how one south bay group is celebrating dia

>> we'll let you know if there's rain in sight over the next seven days. and a look at the halloween forecast coming up. first, a look at what's coming up on "jimmy kimmel live." >> when is the last time you dressed up for halloween? >> last year i went as marty mcfly. and it was good. i nailed it. right down to the walkman. i had the whole deal.

...this one's for you. you inspired us to make your humira experience even better... with humira citrate-free. it has the same effectiveness you know and trust, but we removed the citrate buffers, there's less liquid, and a thinner needle... with less pain immediately following injection. ask your doctor about humira citrate-free. and you can use your co-pay card to pay as little as $5 a month. humira can lower your ability to fight infections. serious and sometimes fatal infections,... ...including tuberculosis, and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened,... ...as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems,... ...serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common... and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections,... or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. ask your doctor about humira citrate-free. the same humira you trust with less pain immediately following injection. if you can't afford your medicine, abbvie may be able to help.

if you can't afford your medicine, a fan-favorite venue ever since they got gig-speed internet. xfinity gives them the ultimate home field advantage. it's their 12th man. protector... hey, amy? want to grab a seat? julie, we're live. it's game on with gig-speed internet from xfinity. start him, sit him, trade him. simple, easy, awesome. get started with xfinity internet for $19.99 a month for 12 months. plus, learn about gig-speeds from xfinity. click, call, or visit a store today.

halloweens past. >> scary and spooky. it will be unlike anything you've lean before. the halloween we all deserve. tomorrow on "gma." a pandemic means we'll be looking at a new way to holiday this year. and that includes visits to santa. families can expect to see major changes to st. nick's workshop to keep everyone safe. >> there is a big push to make sure that your kriss kringle visit is still magical. ♪ >> reporter: santa's workshop is getting a makeover, complete with a wide variety of visits to

the north pole. >> have you been washing your hands with soap and water a lot? >> sometimes i do it more than 20 seconds. >> excellent. >> reporter: this santa is coming to children online through a company called hire santas, that was featured a couple years ago on "shark tank." >> hire santa uses some of santa's friend to spread the cheer. >> reporter: but some of santa's friends are older and at risk for covid-19. the elves are making modifications for in-person visits. >> we're using a santa shield, an acrylic shield between santa and the child. you get traditional santa picture. but you're not coming into direct contact with them. >> reporter: brookfield properties that owns three bay area malls are working on new socially distant santa sets. visits start in late november at

stonetown galleria and southland mall. santa will wear a mask and get daily health checks. the malls are partnering with jingle ring, for their version of santa online. it allows many family members at different locations to watch the visit. >> anybody, anywhere, can experience santa the way they see santa and the way they want to tell the story and their family. >> reporter: jingle ring is offering santa visits in multiple languages, including american sign language. there's santas trained to work with special needs children and various versions of mrs. the company is reaching out to military families. >> if there's a military base in japan or south korea or in germany or the middle east, we have santa performers who are getting up, working the middle of the night, to facilitate jingle ring experiences for those around the world. >> reporter: jingle ring has lined up racially diverse santas

and they're looking for more. >> there's estimates of around 5,000 actors, performers, who play santa an on annual basis in the united states and canada. the problem is, we're looking for black santa. we're looking for latino santa, asian santa, polynesian santa. and there's just not many of them. >> reporter: would-be santas, now is your chance. and since the visits are online, you can apply from anywhere. all the santa experiences require reservations. and prices vary depending on how early you book and the type of visit you choose. check out macy's for a free online christmas activity. the stores are changing up the long history of holiday traditions and creating a virtual tour of santa's village, led by elves and followed by snapping a selfie with santa. we have links to all of the holiday magic on our website. drew tuma, abc 7 news.

>> adapting online in a time of covid. >> yep. it's nice. san jose is preparing for a drive-through dia de los muertos. >> because of covid, families and community members will pass through the gallery of altars in their vehicles. while death is the theme for this mexican holiday, it's a time to show love and respect for deceased family members. the drive-through is tomorrow and saturday. in the north bay, residents have been ordered to ration water because of a major shortage. the city draws its water from bell canyon reservoir. but it's only at 38% capacity. water was used to fight two major wildfires in the region. that and the drought have depleted the supply. st. helena residents are limited to 65 gallons of water per day. businesses are facing similar limits. i feel like it's time we get some rain around here, dan. >> i agree. it is time. and we're getting close to that

point, sounds like. and sandy patel is here with the forecast. >> yeah. about a week or so, we might see a storm come in here and bring much-needed rain. and like you said, dan, unofficially, halloween is when we get our first wetting rain this year. halloween is going to be dry. let me show you the forecast. 6:00, when kids are heading out or you're heading out, the sun goes down at 6:11, temperatures will be comfortable in the 60s, 70s. 7:00 p.m., temperatures fall in the 60s and 50s. you'll need to dress in layers underneath the costumes to keep you comfortable. some fog near the coastline, especially point rays tomorrow morning. there will be more fog near the beaches. temperatures right now in the 40s to the 50s. unless you're in the higher elevations, where we have a few low 60s. a beautiful view from our

exploratorium camera. mild to warm days through the weekend. and we're looking at beautiful weather for halloween. let's check out the hour-by-hour forecast. tomorrow morning, we're going to see gray skies along the coast and the bay. dew points are coming up. we have more humidity in the air. needed after all of the dry days we had. 4:00 p.m., the fog will hang around near the coastline. it will be clear inland. first thing in the morning, upper 30s to low 40s. it's sweater weather tomorrow morning. that's a big sign of autumn here. the afternoon don't really feel like act. 62 in half moon bay. 67 in san francisco. lingering fog near the coast. we're going to see low 70s aroun little cooler tomorrow afternoon. watching the first front on election day. it tries to make it. dry for voters out there.

the next front comes through. that looks more promising, november 6th. a cold storm out of the gulf of alaska. it will bring a possibility of rain and the sierras some snow. stay tuned. as we get closer, the things tend to get drier. remember, this sunday, you want to change your clocks back one hour. standard time begins sunday at 2:00 p.m. don't forget to change your smoke detective battery, daylight saving time ends. the forecast of morning fog, followed by afternoon sun, away from the coast and halloween, will be a treat. fall back one hour. we'll have warm weather to start off november. and it will be dry for election day. hopefully, much-needed rain a week from tomorrow. >> we can hope. coming up, paws to pause. orphan mountain lion

captain cal just had his first play date with two sister mountain lions. >> they are orphans rescued from the zog fire. captain cal was found with severe burns on his paws. he was taken to the oakland zoo for treatment and is doing better, we're glad to say. the zoo says the cubs can't be released back into the wild. they will have each other until a permanent home is found.

looks like they're getting along great. >> it sure does. they'll be well taken

sports on abc 7 is sponsored by your local toyota dealers. >> good evening. the 49ers will have to deal with russell wilson this sunday. but not the raucous seattle fans known as the 12th man. no fans allowed. seahawks, 5-1. but the defense has given up 471

yards per contest. that's an nfl record through six games. they're banged up on both sides of the ball. jimmy g. and the 49ers are relieved that crowd noise will not be a factor. >> definitely am. i'll miss the atmosphere up there. it's one of the cooler places to play. definitely with the cadence, the procedure and that stuff, it will make it easier for us. looking forward to that. >> it's definitely weird. the fact we get to go there, we're going to be able to hear every cadence, not to go on the silence count. it will be refreshing. i'm looking forward to it. definitely gives the offense an advantage. falcons visiting the panthers, thursday night football. and this rouef is visiting the turf. slippery in carolina. panthers up a point in the second quarter. look out. alert. flea flicker, teddy bridgewater to curtis samuel. fast forward fourth quarter, todd gurley, three-yard t.d.

he has eight on the season. the falcons do not blow it late, 25-17. tony la russa, a baseball lifer and cannot resist one more chance. the 76-year-old hall of famer has been hired as the new manager of the chicago white sox, who actually fired him 34 years ago. the long-time a's and cardinals skipper will be managing players 50 years younger than he is. >> everybody would understand this. how rare it is to get an opportunity to manage a team that's this talented and this close to winning. most of the time, your chances are the opposite. >> i actually just saw that. my brother's -- we're in a group text. so, they shot that out. i'm happy about it. it's exciting. didn't get to keep up with them much this year, just with the e. white sox all day, baby.

college football, clemson will not have trevor lawrence on saturday against boston college. he has tested positive for covid-19. he goes into isolation for ten days. abc 7 sp what does it mean to be truly great? it's following your passion to the very top... ...and setting the standard by which all who follow, will be measured. tequila herradura, the world's most gold medal awarded tequila.

it's following your passion to bto the very top...

...and setting the standard by which all who follow, will be measured. tequila herradura, the world's most gold medal awarded tequila. thanks for watching. >> for all of us

plus the nhl team dropping their top draft pick after learning about something in his past. and the growing debate, should we turn out the lights permanently on daylight saving time? permanently on daylight saving time?