Delaying the Election & President Trump’s Suspicion of Mail-In Voting
By Stephanie Remy and Nikita Guelmer, 8/31/2020
Delaying the Election: A Tool of Autocrats
2020 is a long awaited election year. In November, thousands of people across the United States will be voting, with the two main candidates being Joe Biden for the Democratic Party and President Donald Trump for the Republican Party.
A major setback during 2020 has been the outbreak of the Coronavirus. With COVID-19 spreading at a rapid rate, many things within the United States have been changing. These changes include social distancing, wearing masks, many schools and universities going remote, and adjusting to a new way of life. Almost everything has changed, down to President Donald Trump trying to suppress voters in this election.
Trump is calling to delay the 2020 election. In a tweet the President sent out on July 30, 2020, he states “Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote?” Due to concerns related to COVID-19, the President wants to postpone the election in order for more people to safely vote in person, claiming that mail-in voting is problematic and can bring on more cases of voter fraud. In the same tweet, President Trump states that “2020 will be the most inaccurate and fraudulent election in history” due to mail-in voting.
With such a major change being proposed by the leader of the Executive Branch, many are questioning if the suggested change is constitutional. Based on the Constitution, President Trump would not be able to delay the election by himself. However, through Congress’ support and approval, it can be done. This is a tough job considering that while the Senate is run by Republicans, whereas the majority in the House of Representatives are Democrats. Both the President and Congress together would not be able to completely postpone the election, but they could delay it.
When it comes to elections, the only date, or deadline, mentioned in the Constitution is January 20, the day that the president and vice president’s term ends following the election. January 20 is known as inauguration day, when the next president is inaugurated into office.
Like with most things done in the Government today, many opposing views on the issue of delaying the election have surfaced. Ellen Weintraub, President of the FEC (US Federal Election Committee), stated that President Trump did not have the power to delay the election, nor should he. A study found that 66 percent of registered voters opposed the delay, while 23 percent supported it. 11 percent were unsure if they opposed or supported it. Many other studies have found similar results, with a high percentage of people opposing a delay in the election and a smaller percentage of people supporting it. It is important to note that this can be a partisan issue, an issue based on one’s political beliefs. Considering that President Donald Trump is a Republican, many other republicans could be supporting the delay that he is calling for. On the other hand, many Democrats oppose the delay.
As of right now it is hard to tell whether or not President Trump’s idea to delay the election will go through or if it will fall short. With so many unknowns as to how a delay would work, the only thing we as citizens can do is show support or opposition for the delay and wait to see what will happen.
A major setback during 2020 has been the outbreak of the Coronavirus. With COVID-19 spreading at a rapid rate, many things within the United States have been changing. These changes include social distancing, wearing masks, many schools and universities going remote, and adjusting to a new way of life. Almost everything has changed, down to President Donald Trump trying to suppress voters in this election.
Trump is calling to delay the 2020 election. In a tweet the President sent out on July 30, 2020, he states “Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote?” Due to concerns related to COVID-19, the President wants to postpone the election in order for more people to safely vote in person, claiming that mail-in voting is problematic and can bring on more cases of voter fraud. In the same tweet, President Trump states that “2020 will be the most inaccurate and fraudulent election in history” due to mail-in voting.
With such a major change being proposed by the leader of the Executive Branch, many are questioning if the suggested change is constitutional. Based on the Constitution, President Trump would not be able to delay the election by himself. However, through Congress’ support and approval, it can be done. This is a tough job considering that while the Senate is run by Republicans, whereas the majority in the House of Representatives are Democrats. Both the President and Congress together would not be able to completely postpone the election, but they could delay it.
When it comes to elections, the only date, or deadline, mentioned in the Constitution is January 20, the day that the president and vice president’s term ends following the election. January 20 is known as inauguration day, when the next president is inaugurated into office.
Like with most things done in the Government today, many opposing views on the issue of delaying the election have surfaced. Ellen Weintraub, President of the FEC (US Federal Election Committee), stated that President Trump did not have the power to delay the election, nor should he. A study found that 66 percent of registered voters opposed the delay, while 23 percent supported it. 11 percent were unsure if they opposed or supported it. Many other studies have found similar results, with a high percentage of people opposing a delay in the election and a smaller percentage of people supporting it. It is important to note that this can be a partisan issue, an issue based on one’s political beliefs. Considering that President Donald Trump is a Republican, many other republicans could be supporting the delay that he is calling for. On the other hand, many Democrats oppose the delay.
As of right now it is hard to tell whether or not President Trump’s idea to delay the election will go through or if it will fall short. With so many unknowns as to how a delay would work, the only thing we as citizens can do is show support or opposition for the delay and wait to see what will happen.
Post-Pandemic Plans
As 2020 passes its halfway mark, the US presidential election draws nearer and the COVID-19 pandemic has left its mark on electoral procedures. In hopes of upholding public safety and social distancing measures, the US government has announced that it will be using mail-in voting, to ensure people do not have to leave their homes during a pandemic. However, there are many concerns about the legitimacy of voting results and the efficiency of the postal service in delivering all ballots.
To understand the state of postal ballots in the fall, we must also understand the state of the Postal Service itself. The Postal Service has been on the receiving end of budget cuts for years and has found itself drastically underfunded. Due to this lack of funding, mail delivery has been slowed down and many districts find themselves taking weeks to deliver mail. The government has also announced plans to decommission 10% of their mail sorting machines, adding even more uncertainty to the speed of delivery and the consideration of all votes received. Absentee Ballots are not without their complications. Many states and officials fear that countless votes in important swing states will not be counted and even if people post their votes within a sufficient time period, their local postal service will not be able to count it in time for the elections. This poses a clear problem for the elections and is also considered to be a voter suppression tactic by many political scientists. The Trump administration has been vocal about their hopes at curbing voting numbers and reducing the polling outcomes, and the budget cuts to Postal Services are just the tip of the iceberg.
The Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy, has enacted service changes in the last month which have cut overtime hours and banned extra trips that ensure punctual delivery. DeJoy has claimed that slows in delivery times were “unintended consequences” of his moves towards efficiency in regards to the elections which “will increase our performance for the election and upcoming peak season and maintain the high level of public trust we have earned for dedication and commitment to our customers throughout our history.” The head of the Postal Union has said that with proper planning the workers will be able to handle the election mail, but the uncertainties of a mail-in ballots remain. With budget cuts for the Postal Service threatening to slow down delivery times, 40 states that are in danger of failing to count ballots have received ‘serious warnings’. These states have announced that ballots must be cast no later than October 27 to ensure that they are processed in time, more than a week before election day.
Some states have previously conducted universal mail-in ballot elections - Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah, and Washington, and it is a service that when handled properly is very convenient. With proper instruction and especially with proper funding, every state should be able to use a mail-in ballot easefully. In times like these, with quarantine measures and public health a priority, absentee-ballots are a necessity, and should not be used as a political tool for gaining electoral leverage.
To understand the state of postal ballots in the fall, we must also understand the state of the Postal Service itself. The Postal Service has been on the receiving end of budget cuts for years and has found itself drastically underfunded. Due to this lack of funding, mail delivery has been slowed down and many districts find themselves taking weeks to deliver mail. The government has also announced plans to decommission 10% of their mail sorting machines, adding even more uncertainty to the speed of delivery and the consideration of all votes received. Absentee Ballots are not without their complications. Many states and officials fear that countless votes in important swing states will not be counted and even if people post their votes within a sufficient time period, their local postal service will not be able to count it in time for the elections. This poses a clear problem for the elections and is also considered to be a voter suppression tactic by many political scientists. The Trump administration has been vocal about their hopes at curbing voting numbers and reducing the polling outcomes, and the budget cuts to Postal Services are just the tip of the iceberg.
The Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy, has enacted service changes in the last month which have cut overtime hours and banned extra trips that ensure punctual delivery. DeJoy has claimed that slows in delivery times were “unintended consequences” of his moves towards efficiency in regards to the elections which “will increase our performance for the election and upcoming peak season and maintain the high level of public trust we have earned for dedication and commitment to our customers throughout our history.” The head of the Postal Union has said that with proper planning the workers will be able to handle the election mail, but the uncertainties of a mail-in ballots remain. With budget cuts for the Postal Service threatening to slow down delivery times, 40 states that are in danger of failing to count ballots have received ‘serious warnings’. These states have announced that ballots must be cast no later than October 27 to ensure that they are processed in time, more than a week before election day.
Some states have previously conducted universal mail-in ballot elections - Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah, and Washington, and it is a service that when handled properly is very convenient. With proper instruction and especially with proper funding, every state should be able to use a mail-in ballot easefully. In times like these, with quarantine measures and public health a priority, absentee-ballots are a necessity, and should not be used as a political tool for gaining electoral leverage.