President-elect Joe Biden and Jill Biden arrive at Biden's inauguration.Win McNamee/Getty Images
- Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be sworn in Wednesday as President and Vice President.
- Due to COVID-19 and threat of violence from far-right groups, the inauguration is unlike past ceremonies.
- Photos tell the story of how Biden's inauguration compares to that of previous presidents.
President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on Wednesday will be sworn in as the 46th president and 49th vice president of the United States.
In a break with tradition, outgoing President Donald Trump refused to attend Biden's inauguration and departed Washington, DC, earlier Wednesday as part of an unusual send-off ceremony.
But that's just one way this year's ceremony looks different than the dozens that have taken place before it.
Much of this year's ceremony will happen virtually to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.
And due to the violent and deadly insurrection at the US Capitol by pro-Trump demonstrators earlier in January, security, including fencing around the Capitol complex, has ramped up to protect the president-elect and vice president-elect as they assume the nation's highest offices.
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser asked people not to travel to the city to see the new president's inauguration, a tradition that can draw more than a million people to the nation's capital. From the lack of inaugural balls to enhanced social distancing protocols, photos show how Biden and Harris' inauguration compares to that of previous administrations.