Pandemic at the Polls

How the Politics of COVID-19 Played into American Elections

Dari Sylvester Tran

• Publisher: Lexington Books
• Year: 2023
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9798216272847
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: American Government
• Index: Politics & International Relations

In 2020, COVID-19 became a global pandemic devastating physical and mental health, social wellbeing, and the economic status of millions globally. Unforgettable images of death and the deep wounds inflicted on the livelihoods of employees and business owners were broadcast daily in the media. Less visible was the political fallout that threatened the rights of countless voters seeking to exercise their democratic rights under exceptional conditions. In the United States, the scourge of the pandemic came during a highly contentious presidential election year, where states were challenged to administer multiple elections in the context of changing public health mandates, critical supply and personnel shortages, and decreased election funding. What lessons can be drawn from this political moment to ensure that future elections continue to be resilient in the face of threatening circumstances? What reforms adopted in COVID-19's midst will remain—for better or worse? Featuring cutting-edge research from top and emerging scholars of election administration, both inside and outside of academia, Pandemic at the Polls is a must-read for elections scholars, administrators, and students of democratic elections.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Part I: Pandemic Election Context
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: The Pandemic Voting Experience
• Chapter 2: The Pandemic, the U.S. Postal Service, and Mail Voting Laws and Voting in American Elections
• Chapter 3: Plotting out Election Administrative Insights and Recommendations from the 2020 Election
• Chapter 4: Online Hostility toward Local Election Officials Surged in 20201
• Part II: Adaptation and Alternative Voting Arrangements
• Chapter 5: What Drove the Increase in Mail Voting in the 2020 General Election?
• Chapter 6: Adapting Democracy: Implementing Vote Centers during a Pandemic
• Chapter 7: The New Role of Philanthropy in Supporting Election Administration in the 2020 Election
• Part III: Improving the Path Forward
• Chapter 8: Queuing up Problems: The Application and Status of Queuing Catastrophes in Election Administration
• Chapter 9: Automatic Voter Registration and List Maintenance
• Conclusion
• Index
• About the Editor
• About the Contributors