Analysis: COVID-19’s Impact on the 2020 Presidential Election
COVID-19 has already been the defining actor of the 2020 election, dictating not only the issues on the table but also to some extent who gets to vote, how, and when. Source.
From people losing their jobs to schools closing, there’s no question life has been turned upside down by the outbreak of COVID-19. And just as the virus has changed the way Americans go about their day to day lives, it has also reshaped the way we conduct elections. Now, as the nation looks toward reclaiming its future, how we vote and what we value has shifted greatly.
For instance, rather than going to an in-person polling place and risking infection, many voters are opting to cast their ballots through the mail. In anticipation of this, most states have implemented last-minute changes to how people can receive and submit their ballot — changes that will only remain in effect for the 2020 election. Still, given President Donald Trump’s public confession that he intends to block funding to the U.S. Postal Service in an attempt to discourage the use of mail-in ballots, there is a high level of uncertainty among absentee voters.
Voting isn’t the only thing shifting away from being offered in-person, however. The pandemic has also forced candidates to move online and pursue virtual methods of fundraising and hosting campaign events. Typically, campaigns entice donors with fancy finger-foods and wine — maybe even a handshake with their candidate — but this time around, high-dollar donors are being thanked with access codes to Zoom meetings. That said, Vice President Joe Biden seems to be following this virtual method much more strictly than Trump, who recently hosted rallies with no social distancing and few masks in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Nevada, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, to name a few.
As such, it should come as no surprise that Trump pleaded with Americans not to let COVID-19 “dominate” their lives. Despite these pleas — which came shortly after he, himself, was hospitalized with the virus — recent polls show that the majority of Americans continue to fear exposure. In fact, most Americans consider COVID-19 to be the central issue of the 2020 Presidential Election. After all, the winner will not only be tasked with ending the pandemic’s reign of destruction but dealing with the aftermath as well.
As for the current reign of destruction, the pandemic has taken the lives of over 200,000 Americans since the first case was reported in January, bringing newfound importance to the discussion of healthcare. This includes an increasing appreciation for healthcare workers. We’ve all seen it. Billboards and TV commercials have been popping up all over the place, thanking them for the essential services they provide.
In addition, the existence of underserved communities, like the Yakama Indian Reservation in Washington, and racial disparities in the world of healthcare have gained national recognition — so much so that proponents of Medicare for All, like Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, have accused the President of hypocrisy, referencing how Trump accepted treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center while denying the public access to the same socialized medicine he received. Sanders said in a tweet, “Mr. President: You attack ‘socialized medicine’ every single day. Well, let's be clear. The excellent care you received at Walter Reed was at a 100% government-funded, government run hospital. For Trump, ‘socialized medicine’ is bad for everyone but himself.”
Biden has yet to comment on the matter, simply stating he was glad to see the president out of the hospital but wished Trump’s message at subsequent press appearances had focused more on listening to scientists and supporting the use of masks. Still, it’s clear that Trump testing positive brought the topic of healthcare back to the forefront of the election after it had been overshadowed by the state of the economy in recent months.
All in all, it’s clear COVID-19 has had an immense effect on both the progression and execution of the 2020 Presidential election. Moving forward, it will be interesting to see how these effects impact the final moments of the election and, with it, the end result.