Thirteen Days to the End of Voting

The title of this blog reflects that by the time the polls open on November 3rd, a large percentage of votes will have already been cast. Election day has been smeared into Election Weeks. Similarly, it’s quite likely that election results, instead of being available election night, as is usually the case and was in 2016, may be smeared through the following days, weeks, or even months.

By election day, Amy Coney Barrett will be installed on the Supreme Court, cementing a solid majority of right-wing ideologically driven justices. Trump is counting on their support in the event that Republicans contrive to bring a crucial voting issue before them so they can tilt the scales in his favor. There’s also a chance the election will be decided by the House of Representatives, with each state being allowed to cast one vote. Under this bizarre regime, given the present composition of state legislatures, Republicans would prevail, but this may not be the case when the vote would take place the first week in January. That will depend on how local elections came out.

Like a Covid patient in critical condition, American democracy is on a ventilator in the ICU, trying to get enough oxygen to survive.