The COVID -19 pandemic has affected all spheres of society, including the economy, social interactions, and political participation. From the cancellation of conventions to the relegation of fundraising and campaigning to digital realms, the pandemic seems to have reduced the energy surrounding elections in the US. During the past elections, voting was majorly in person, which is not tenable during this year's exercise because of the restrictions that characterize the COVID-19 pandemic. Voting by mail is the primary method to be used during this year’s general election amid its projected complexities.
In 2016, Americans could walk to their designated voting station where they could lineup and cast their ballots without any social distancing restriction, an approach that is relatively challenging today. Since the pandemic began, medical experts and policymakers advised people to avoid close contact by maintaining social distance to reduce the infection rates. Although voting in person remains an option, about 71% of Americans felt that voting by mail was the most viable option (“American Bar Association,” 2020). However, voting by mail will be affected by different state laws that will make it difficult for voters to know their options. Currently, only five states have provisions for conducting all elections by mail. These states include Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah, and Washington (“American Bar Association,” 2020). Voters in states that do not have definite laws permitting voting by mail will have challenges orienting themselves with the new approach. Besides, presidential contestants such as President Trump has questioned the integrity of having widespread voting by mail (Corse & Day, 2020). Even after all ballots have been cast, voters will have to wait for a long time than usual to know the presidential election outcome. Election officials will need more time to conclude on counting the expected historic numbers of mail ballots.
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While most Americans voted in person in past elections, this year's general election will primarily be based on mail voting. Besides the legislative complexities surrounding postal voting, there are concerns about the method's integrity from some contestants, which will be compounded by the long-expected waiting times for results due to the numbers of mail ballots.
References
American Bar Association. (2020, June 25). The Impact of COVID-19 on Federal Elections . https://www.americanbar.org/advocacy/governmental_legislative_work/publications/washingtonletter/june_20_wl/mail-in-voting-0620wl/
Corse, A. & Day, C. (2020, September). Voters Face a Complicated Election as the Pandemic Remakes Voting. Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/voters-face-a-complicated-election-as-the-pandemic-remakes-voting-11599298200
