People are highly engaged with the 2020 presidential election — so much so that a record number of respondents told a recent survey that this year’s results “really matter” to them.
There are a few reasons why voters might care more about the 2020 election than past elections. Social media has made American politics much more accessible and, therefore, more interesting. This year has been one long series of unfortunate events that has forced the public to pay attention. And efforts to bolster mail-in voting have successfully increased voter turnout among people who would not normally vote.
This last factor, specifically, has had an interesting effect on the electorate. Multiple studies have shown that the states that moved rapidly to expand mail-in balloting amid the coronavirus pandemic are seeing some of the highest levels of voter turnout in years. In Iowa, for example, total turnout reached 24% during this year’s June primaries for Congress, which is the state’s highest-ever turnout for a primary, according to The Hill. In 2016, Iowa only experienced a turnout of 15%.
But many people are worried that the increase in mail-in voting will lead to unnecessary complications on Election Day. Nearly half of the respondents said in a recent survey that they expect to have difficulties casting a ballot, and even more expect this year’s election to be the most contentious they’ve ever seen. There is very little confidence in the system, even as it becomes more convenient.
Unfortunately, there is little chance this will change any time soon. Both political parties seem set on exacerbating current tensions. Indeed, the one thing both Democrats and Republicans can agree on is that if their team loses, it will be because the other side cheated. This kind of thinking has become so commonplace that 75% of President Trump’s supporters and 60% of Joe Biden’s supporters both agreed that election officials will probably cheat this year, according to the American Social Survey.
In short, the public cares a lot about what happens in November, but many have preemptively lost faith in the election process and its results. That raises the question: Is this sustainable?
