April 16, 2020

American democracy at risk during COVID-19

topic:	Democracy
located:	USA
editor:	Yair Oded

COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc across the United States, threatening not only people’s health but also the country’s democratic institutions. From President Trump to top Republican and Democratic party leaders  - many influential figures have been trying to exploit the crisis in order to amass power, thereby eroding democracy.

Charging ahead with the 2020 primaries without extending all Americans the option to vote remotely has been one of the blunt examples of how special interest overpowers human rights and democratic principles in the days of the pandemic. 

In mid-March, despite the rising spread of the virus in the United States and growing concern over rates of infection, Democratic primaries were held in Arizona, Florida, and Illinois, where millions of voters had to leave their homes and risk their lives in order to cast their votes. Rising infection rates and growing fears about the disease had caused many poll workers to stay at home, which resulted in the last minute closing of polling stations. Voters therefore had to attend over-crowded stations that were ill-equipped to accommodate such a large number of people and maintain sanitary conditions that would prevent further spreading of the disease. Many have blamed the local authorities in these states for refusing to expand voting by mail and thus disenfranchising many eligible voters. 

Two weeks ago, Wisconsin joined the list of states holding primaries during the pandemic and was the first to do so while a formal shelter-in order was in place. An attempt to extend the absentee ballot deadline was blocked by the U.S. Supreme Court on the eve of the election. Dissenting Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg stated that “the court’s order, I fear, will result in massive disenfranchisement.” Ginsburg was correct in her assessment, and thousands across the state, particularly in urban areas, were ultimately unable to exercise their right to vote. 

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers tried to postpone the date of the elections at the last minute, stating: “I cannot, in good conscience, allow any types of gatherings that will further the spread of this disease and put more lives at risk. There’s not a sufficiently safe way to administer in-person voting tomorrow.” Evers’ executive order to delay the elections was overturned by the conservative-leaning State Supreme Court. Many believe that this was a deliberate attempt by GOP leaders to disenfranchise people, as they knew that the turnout will be lower in urban areas due to the pandemic and wanted to secure a supreme court seat which was up for re-election that day. 

What transpired on election day in Wisconsin was grim. Due to shortages in polling workers and volunteers, a great number of polling stations had to shut down at the last minute, which resulted in insufficiently staffed crowded stations, where people had to stand in long lines for hours. A widespread lack of protective gear meant that both voters and poll workers and volunteers (many of whom were elderly) put their health at risk in order to exercise their civic duties and rights. 

While examining the events in states holding primaries during the pandemic, it is important to recognise that African Americans, immigrants, and people of low-income background are disproportionately affected by the decisions not to postpone elections or extend absentee ballot deadlines.

According to The New York Times, in Milwaukee, the state capital and epicentre of the disease in Wisconsin, black people are reportedly hit the hardest - “as of Tuesday afternoon, Milwaukee county’s coronavirus dashboard showed black Americans made up 626 of the county’s 1,387 confirmed cases, and 36 of its 51 deaths.” This undoubtedly impacted their ability to participate safely in the elections. What’s more is that in Milwaukee only 5 polling stations remained open (down from roughly 180), and were concentrated in predominantly black and poor neighbourhoods, thus putting them at greater risk and disenfranchising those who chose to put their safety first. 

The recent incidents involving the primaries are but symptoms of a much larger issue: entities using the pandemic to erode the pillars of democracy. Just this week, President Trump announced that he has absolute power over decisions like when states should reopen their economies, and thus exhibited complete disregard to his people’s well-being and the rule of law. 

Trump’s announcement backfired, however, and instigated the formation of a cross-national alliance of ten Governors, including Andrew Cuomo of New York and California Governor Gavin Newsom, who banded together in an effort to maintain control over their economies. These governors wish to ensure that the resumption of economic activities will be informed by scientific recommendations and findings, as opposed to political considerations and the caprices of the president. 

It seems, then, that for all the efforts to quash democracy, endeavours of equal size are being put forward by leaders and citizens who are concerned about protecting the integrity of the state and the safety of the public. 

Image by gvbsonic

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