2020 Election Update

By Eva Lynch

The coronavirus pandemic continues to sweep the nation and has taken a sledgehammer to the Olympics, March Madness, the Democratic National Convention, and many states’ primary elections. Many voters wonder if the 2020 general election is next, currently set to take place on November 3.

Most sources say a postponement is highly unlikely, primarily due to the lengthy process required to do so, which includes legislation enacted and passed by Congress and signed by the president. The date for the 2020 general election is set by federal law, and one of the main concerns is respecting the federally mandated duration of a presidential term. Reportedly, the more likely option is to convert to a vote-by-mail-only system.

Monika McDermott, a political science professor at Fordham University, said in a Guardian interview, “By November the picture might be completely unrecognizable. We don’t even know if the election is going to happen as scheduled. There’s talk out there about postponing it or changing it to a mail-in only election.”

Despite these possibilities, the Democratic and Republican campaigns are surging ahead. The divisive power of coronavirus remains but has also advanced to a problem of economics: Democrats slam President Trump for tanking the economy, which was one of his main policies in the 2016 election, and Republicans slam former vice president Joe Biden for not offering an alternative economic plan. 

However, the current crisis also transcends political dichotomy. On Monday, Biden and Trump shared a 15-minute phone call about coronavirus efforts, in which Biden offered suggestions for the Trump administration moving forward.

Later that day, Trump confirmed their conversation, describing it as “really wonderful and warm.”