[ad_1]
People vote at Lincoln Center during early voting for the U.S. Presidential election on October 24, 2020 in New York City. Due to concerns about the coronavirus and social distancing, New York State is allowing early voting for the first time. (Photo by Stephanie Keith / Getty Images)
There is only seven days until November 3, and early voters are breaking all records to make sure their candidate is in the White House next year.
Polls still generally show Joe Biden ahead of Donald Trump, though not by a very wide margin. Biden has a slight edge in some of the major shifting states like Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Trump appears to be advancing in Arizona, Florida and Georgia, but appears to be losing ground in Texas.
Overall, the number of early votes has already exceeded the total number cast by early voters in 2016.
Early voting in Texas has seen more than seven million Texans cast their votes, mostly in person, in a state without a mask mandate. From being one of the lowest early voting states, Texas was, on Monday, October 26, the state with the most votes cast: just over 7.3 million, according to the American Election Project data.
By Sunday, October 25, early voting in Texas was equal to 80% of the total number of votes cast in Texas in 2016.
Traditionally, Democrats are known to vote early and are considered to be more likely to vote by mail than in person, and Conservatives are known to vote in person and are also more likely to vote on that day.
With coronavirus cases in the US currently at 8.6 million and just over 225,000 deaths, said Dr. Rusty Brooks, director of the International Center at the University of Georgia. Daily maverick that the virus may very well be altering historical voting patterns and voter behavior.
“Without a doubt, I think Covid is probably playing the biggest role in all of this,” says Brooks.
But the coronavirus may not be the only threat in the city. Brooks adds that there are personal safety concerns, that there could potentially be violence at the polls on Election Day. He says this is also likely to prompt people to vote early or mail ballots.
“You know there is talk of who is going to be watching the polls on Election Day, and I think people are trying to avoid any opportunity to get caught up in something that could be potentially dangerous for them.
“There’s just too much attention being paid to the likelihood of voter suppression or election observation or voter intimidation or voter intimidation and some people are choosing to adopt those methods that keep them away from such actions.”
Brooks says this may be what’s upsetting voting patterns in Texas: the fact that voters may be grappling with personal safety fears around illness and guns.
“At first glance, it looks good for Democrats because Democrats are people who tend to vote early, or absentee, or mail… However, on the other side of the coin, I would expect a total Texas turnout to be even greater Republicans will go to the polls on Election Day in even greater numbers than expected. “
Add a Covid-19 disclaimer to a large expected Republican voter turnout for the day, “In Texas, the (coronavirus) numbers are really going … so you have a situation where Covid is colliding with the desire to vote in person and it’s going to be an interesting thing to watch to see what really happens on November 3 in Texas. “
The threat from the virus was clearly visible on the streets of New York when early voting opened in the city on Saturday, October 24. Many wore masks and most people kept their distance as they lined up to vote.
New York has recently seen an increase in coronavirus cases, especially in some Brooklyn neighborhoods, but clearly residents would not be denied the opportunity to cast their vote.
Some were clear about their political position, including a police officer who was heard saying “Trump 2020, put it on Facebook … “ over his patrol’s megaphone in the black neighborhood of Brooklyn South. Since then, the officer has been suspended.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio took to Twitter to say that any police officer pushing a political agenda while on duty will face the consequences.
Let me be clear: ANY NYPD officer pushing ANY political agenda while on duty will face consequences. We will act fast here, and this will not be tolerated. https://t.co/c2cXwL2wUx
– Major Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) October 25, 2020
While it’s legal in some states to carry a gun openly in public, the perceived threat of violence on Election Day is arguably the most important thing for some voters, as armed Trump supporters showed up at a Florida polling station last week. pass.
In the state of Wisconsin, there are concerns about the friendly relationship between police and armed militias, which possibly led to the killing of two protesters by Trump supporter Kyle Rittenhouse in August. Rittenhouse passed the police with a rifle and chatted with them. minutes before fatally shooting two people.
US gun control groups like the Coalition to stop gun violence Y Guns Down America have collaborated on a study that says only six states specifically do not allow arms in polling stations. In most states, gun laws relate to the legal possession of firearms (legal and legally obtained) and may also have rules that limit or prohibit guns in schools and municipal buildings.
In Michigan, the secretary of state is facing two lawsuits regarding a directive to ban open transportation on November 3 at polling places. One lawsuit is filed by a private citizen and the other by a group consisting of an individual and three gun groups: Michigan Open Carry, Michigan Gun Owners, and the Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners. DM
An Wentzel is Night Editor, a specialist reporter for the Daily Maverick, she went to the United States to visit her family when the pandemic struck and is currently abandoned in the land of the ‘free’.
[ad_2]
