Can the Coronavirus Help Save Democracy?
All the numbers and demographics are moving against Republicans and have for years. They have clung to power by tilting the field in their favor with gerrymandering and voter suppression using harsh voter ID laws, moving and closing polling locations, shortening early voting periods, making ballots confusing, and sending out deceptive campaign materials that are designed to keep voters off balance. Recently Trump has taken use of the mass voter rally and raised it to an art form; those rallies are dutifully covered by the media that always amplify it to make it look bigger than it is. The Republicans have always out maneuvered Democrats on virtually every front, legal and illegal.
So, think about what could be an equalizer that could blunt most of these tactics. Something that would threaten not just one side, but both sides, something that doesn’t care if you’re a Democrat or Republican, Social Democrat or Trumpist. Enter the Coronavirus that is rapidly becoming a global pandemic and growing very quickly in the US accelerated by Trump’s incompetent and incoherent early response to the threat. The resulting condition called COVID-19 is life threatening to some and contagious, passed by human to human exposure. One of the greatest tools that we have now to fight it is social distancing. Add to that the fact that development of a distributable vaccine will not occur until AFTER the election. So, as we go deeper into the year, the threat is growing, not getting better.
What does all this mean? It means that it’s very likely that there will be no in person campaigning, no rallies, no in person voting including early voting. It means that, in order to have an election, the entire country must use remote voting online or by mail. By far the safest is online, and the next best is mail in ballot. Three states vote exclusively by mail, Oregon, Washington, and Colorado. Republicans HATE remote voting because that vote is much more difficult to suppress, so only states that have balanced or Democratic government control are the ones that have converted to remote voting. Online makes the most sense and can be secured; today I bank online, shop for groceries online, even buy our tea and coffee online. I can send money almost anywhere in the world online. Surely, we can develop a secure way to vote online. Short of that, though, voting by mail works and is being used today.
So, for the first time, Republicans are facing the exact same obstacle to voting that Democrats are facing. The Coronavirus can’t tell who you support for President and doesn’t care. In the face of a national election where their candidate is weak (and nuts), they know that the election is very tight or even a loser for them; that’s why they’ve refused to improve voter security and continued to restrict access to voting. Suddenly, THEY are facing a voter suppression threat that they didn’t create and can’t control. Will the Coronavirus threat to Republicans finally be the tipping point where they will be forced to make voting more fair and by mail or online? I can only hope so, and they better get off their asses and get to work on it.
Short of Trump trying to cancel or delay the election, remote voting is the only answer to make the election happen on time and according to the Constitution. Could it actually be a global health threat that helps repair a broken system? The irony would be sweet.
“Surely, we can develop a secure way to vote online.”
Dream on.
Talk about no paper trail!
Mail-in, on the other hand, has a paper trail. I’ll take that option.
Yes, I bank by mail and buy stuff on Amazon. I’ve also been scammed and robbed online. No thank you.
1No, Thank You. And what about anonymity? You want to make me attach my email and IP address to my vote? Paper ballots. As soon as you say, “safe”, it is hacked. Internet security Is a myth. I’ve been an electrician official for 20 years. I’ll trust the postal service
2Malarkey#1 – Amen!
My daughter votes in Oregon – they’re mailed a ballot, then can either mail it back in, or drop it off in multiple secure locations in her town. Add a tracking #, and I’m in!
3yeah, I’m going with door# 2, voting by mail. it’s secure (or as secure as anything can be.), and leaves a paper audit trail behind it.
4Joining the chorus of NO to online voting. Texas’ absentee voting by mail works just fine, and is much less hackable. Counting would take a bit longer but could easily be checked.
The rest of your analysis is really sharp, EJ. Absentee voting could defeat the long lines that the R’s are counting on. We’d also have to watch collection and counting like hawks, and voters would really have to get after their local election officials to ensure that they get on and stay on the rolls. Don’t forget that the Mayor of Kansas City was turned away from the polls yesterday, when he tried to vote (because the poll worker accidentally reversed his fist name and surname).
5Combover Crime Lord may be stupid, but he knows how to crook. And over the past three years he’s had a graduate level course from the organization formerly known as the Grand Old Party in how to stifle voting rights, suppress other individual rights, spread political juice to undeserving miscreants, promote crony capitalism, steal from the public (though he probably had that down pretty pat already), and so much else. You can take it to the bank that he’ll do all he can to keep that golden goose in its cage and laying its eggs for him. That means he’ll use any excuse to postpone or cancel the 2020 election. We ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
6I support the members of the Postal Worker’s Union. I trust them a lot more than I trust mystery boxes that take my vote and make it disappear.
7Mail in ballots, with a number of hours at elevated temperature to sterilize, might be the best way to go.
Just what GOPs don’t want…
8Ballot boxes from “inconvenient” precincts can get lost. Voting machines can be rigged or not work. Minority precincts sometimes do not get enough ballots. Batches of mail in ballots being “found” long after the presumptive winner has been sworn in, etc. So those systems are not foolproof. My 40+ years experience in software development convinces me there is no online voting system that cannot be hacked. The difference is a missing ballot box or missing mail in ballots can be noticed/detected but a well executed hack can all too easily go completely undetected and very precisely manipulate the outcome. In the final analysis Vote by mail is probably the most difficult to manipulate as well as the most egalitarian option.
9Don’t trust computer or iPhone voting…paper!! Or at least the present voting station.
10AND VOTE!!!!
Anyone who does not have $1000000 put aside for retirement & at least $1000000 aside for medical had better be voting against the orange pile of crap! Because without medicare & SS, you are going to be using the rePUKEian health plan… get sick and a) DIE or b) bankruptcy or both!
Slightly off-topic, but maybe not. Yup, I’m really a professor (but don’t play one on TV).
Many (and soon, maybe all) universities in the US are shutting down in-person classes, and making students finish the semester using on-line resources. Unfortunately they are also turning students out of dorms and university housing – which is great for slowing down the spread of the Trump Plague, but is just plain awful for at least two categories of students.
Category 1 are first generation students who just do not have the resources at home to watch lectures, do videoconferencing, and take tests. Some of them gather at coffee shops or McDonald’s to use the free wireless, if they have laptops, but that means they’re back in social settings to catch and pass the disease.
Category 2 are students who just don’t have the ability to move back to Mom and Dad’s home for the duration. The parents may not have the room, or may be living in straitened circumstances. E.g., being in homeless shelters or native American reservations where there’s not even cell phone service. Especially international students can be in an impossible situation, either not enought money to fly back home, or home is China or northern Italy where travel has been forbidden.
For wealthy students it’s a minor inconvenience. But for many others it is a near-impossible situation. For anyone who can help out, see if you have area students in such circumstances. I’m hosting four students in my home, but have enough room for people to double up two per bedroom. [full disclosure: these are students I have known for months and years, so I’m confident we can all get along]. Some universities are just dumping the students, while others are trying to make arrangments for ones who have no place to go.
And look at the upside: you might get to learn entirely new styles of cooking. Hey, since many of us are what the CDC calls “older”, if you do come down with Covid-19 you’ll have youngsters who can call an ambulance and help you get to it! Or at least feed your cats and dogs when you do croak.
11YES on voting by mail. (I live in Oregon.)
12NO on voting online. (I’m Estonian. Estonia is world’s leading „everything online“ country. During last couple of elections, they learned the hard way that online voting IS NOT secure.)
Other than that – good thinking, El Jefe. I can relate.
Iowa anyone? The DNC is not prepared for a national election with electronic gadgets; dawg knows where the RNC would be, but those voting up to no good would be on the scent. Also the consensus at the WMDBS is for mail and/drop off ballots. Okay then.
Where are Alfredo and Mr. Fifty States and Territories Howard Dean when we need them. Need a breakdown. How many Democratic Governors, how many states with an active Democratic Party and the ground game to keep the RNC honest, if Tom Perez can muster the forces at the national level to even force an election. Ronna Romney McDaniel effectively cut out presidential primaries for Republicons, so do not expect her to side with democratic elections.
13“Surely, we can develop a secure way to vote online.”
I had a forty-year career as a computer engineer, and I tell you that we cannot.
https://xkcd.com/2030/
14Absolutely VOTE BY MAIL! (i live in WA) It’s stress free. No long lines. No lost time. No voter suppression. We can track our ballot online to make sure it was received. Paper trail. We can either drop it in a ballot box, mail it (postage paid), or take it to the county courthouse if we absolutely have to vote in person. It’s the only sane way to go, Nationwide, virus or no virus.
15El Jefe, good call and early call, btw. Getting out ahead of Republicon dirty tricks is always a good idea. But when cancelling the general election is a possibility in 2020 having a solid alternative they (media & Republicons) cannot refuse is paramount. To any who would say “it’s only March” that would be underestimating how desperate and dirty Republicons will play to hold onto power. State Democratic leadership needs to contact Tom Perez now. Early and often to wedge him into a pair of big boy pants. Won’t hurt to have guys and gals like NV’s own Bill (William McCurdy II) garner as much media attention as possible with this issue. Texas has Ms. Juanita Jean Herownself, Mr. Maxey and El Jefe to spur state officials. Other states?
16I shouldn’t have even mentioned online voting. Almost every comment is about that and not about the actual topic of the post which was stopping voter suppression. Sheesh.
17El Jefe @17, let’s talk voter suppression of which the penultimate would be cancelling elections. The RNC has already cancelled presidential primary elections in some states, so yeah Ronna and the dirty kids would do that with a general election. If Republicons can be stopped on that particular egregious power grab, free and fair election would be a natural consequence of stopping the ‘Cons.
18I rarely use ATMs because I used to managed 2,500+ with a staff of 15. Knowing that you can steal money from them fifteen ways from Sunday, I’m very reluctant to vote on my phone, reader or computer. I vote for mail in however, it’s going to be a sloooow conclusion to the vote. But, we cannot let his majesty use this as an excuse to put off the election – I’ll go to the poll if need be!
19Surly Prof,
20A (retired) prof here. It boggles the mind to think that an effective online course can be developed in a few days or a week. Maybe things are better now, but 5 years ago it was so challenging to make an interactive, student-centered online course that our union (hurrah for unions!) negotiated a 33% premium for online teaching. And I don’t even want to imagine what happens to lab courses. Doctor to patient: don’t worry, I did several simulated appendectomies.
Grandma Ada, there is no reason for you to risk your health or wait in long lines meant to suppress your vote. This can be handled similarly to the way Gov. Cuomo is handling COVID-19 in New York. Send out the National Guard with proper identification in PPE (protective gear) to deliver and collect ballots, as well as secured lock boxes to collect ballots, and the U.S. mail to send and collect. Physical machine counts and hand counts are very little in terms of a counting delay, if we prepare for this. Screw the media and their need for instant gratification. Note the difference between tabulating the Iowa and NV caucuses this year. Although a last minute scramble for volunteers, NV was counted by early evening, while Iowa with the magic machines is still in question. And, those were “Democratic” machines; dawg forbid we have Republicon machines in the mix.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/new-york-officials-traced-more-than-50-coronavirus-cases-back-to-one-attorney/ar-BB112jj6?ocid=spartanntp
21Here in PA, used to be we only had an absentee ballot which required documenting an absence or physical reason, but the
22Gov. Pushed through a law that you can have another option:
Mail-In Ballot, for which no reason is required.
Trouble is it hasn’t been well publicized so many may not apply in time. Got to get the word out.
Old Fart @8 raises a great point.
23The spread of Covid 19 through contact with thousands of voters who handle ballots and then send them through the mail. Whether or not it’s an actual threat, it’ll be pounced on by the propaganda machine as the reason for demanding “sterile” online voting. The U.S. Postal Service depicted as the instrument of biological warfare.
Anybody doubt the willingness of the f**king trump campaign to bring to bear the might of the entire executive branch to convince the American people that they can’t trust the Postal Service? Online voting?
Check.
Undermining one of the most revered and trustworthy institutions responsible for the free exchange of ideas and information?
In favor pushing further reliance on a medium that can be maniputated by the rich and powerful?
Check.
Sorry Jefe. I didn’t jump on the bandwagon early on cause lots beat me to it.
But they’re right.
Nebraska also has by-mail voting. Republicans aren’t opposed to the idea in principle, they are only opposed when elections could be close. So in a deeply red state like this one, they’re all for it. We had mail voting before Oregon and Washington.
As for on-line voting, no thanks. Aside from virtually every computer security expert under the sun saying it cannot be made secure (think Equifax and numerous store and credit card hacks), it cannot work in places with little or no Internet service (like where I live—there are only three places in my town with Internet service, mine is the only home). The same goes for cell service (and cell signals can be intercepted or suppressed).
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