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; in contrast, 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. More than three years into the pandemic, as the worst devastation from the virus seems to be nearing an end, 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.
Dari Sylvester Tran is professor of political science at University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA.
Preface Acknowledgements Part I: Pandemic Election Context Introduction Dari Sylvester Tran Chapter 1: The Pandemic Voting Experience Martha Kropf Chapter 2: The Pandemic, The U.S. Postal Service, and Mail Voting Laws and Voting in American Elections Michael J. Ritter Chapter 3: Plotting Out Election Administrative Insights Aad Recommendations from the 2020 Election John A. Curiel and Declan Chin Chapter 4: Online Hostility towards Local Election Officials Surged in 2020 Joelle Gross, Samuel Baltz, Mara Suttmann-Lea, Thessalia Merivaki, and Charles Stewart III Part II: Adaptation and Alternative Voting Arrangements Chapter 5: What Drove the Increase in Mail Voting in the 2020 General Election? Lindsay Nielson, David Varas Alonso, and Sidney Carl Turner Chapter 6: Adapting Democracy: Implementing Vote Centers During a Pandemic Anita Manion, David Kimball, Joseph Anthony, and Adriano Udani Chapter 7: The New Role of Philanthropy in Supporting Election Administration in the 2020 Election Mitchell Brown and Kathleen Hale Part III: Improving the Path Forward Chapter 8: Queuing up Problems: The Application and Status of Queuing Catastrophes in Election Administration John A. Curiel Chapter 9: Automatic Voter Registration and List Maintenance Jonathan Griffiths and Marc Meredith Conclusion Martha Kropf About the Contributors Index
Across the chapters, the authors consider in detail the complex landscape of election administration, the political environment surrounding the COVID-19 response, and partisan claims about the integrity of the election in the United States to present a comprehensive narrative of election administration in 2020. The text utilizes both a national and subnational approach to discuss these issues, often highlighting the innovative approaches of local election officials, states, and non-profit organizations. The authors carefully consider the lasting consequences of the political and administrative challenges and opportunities that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic for voters, election administration, and democratic governance. -- Bridgett King, University of Kentucky
