Neil: On the morning of April 8th, a man in the sunset of his seventies stares down a camera wearing a suit without a tie and wire rimmed glasses, coupled with his US-Senator pin on his lapel, ready to make the announcement everyone and no one expects. “I wish I could give you better news,” begins Senator Bernie Sanders, announcing his decision to suspend his quest for the democratic nomination in the speech that follows. It’s a monumental moment, although more inevitable than unexpected, as it marks the end of an important stage in the story of the Democratic party. The man who all but built the progressive wing of the party ends what may very likely be his final crack at the top job, and falling to 0-2 at 78 years old aren’t promising numbers when thinking about another bid. Bernie’s dropping out isn’t just important for his journey, though, because it clears the way for the two men who are on a collision course to the oval office and sets the bracket for the 2020 election: former Vice President Joe Biden and incumbent President Donald Trump. The announcement is an interesting one for another point as well- it’s not a speech in front of a cheering crowd, but online from his home in Burlington, Vermont. That’s one part that’s unique to this year, and all the fault of a microscopic crown shaped virus which we’ve all come to know quite well in these past few months.
An elbow bump to kick off Biden and Sanders’ final encounter back in March (a simpler time!) revealed the undeniable: this election was going to be one like no other, and not because of its political significance either. The coronavirus and the election process are at odds at the vast majority of voting in the United States taking place in person, the heavy involvement of the older population in voting and the long standing American tradition of political rallies. It’s for these reasons that it's clear the fall will see an election like no other- but is it safe to say we’ll never see the presidential election like we know it ever again? In the today’s world we’ve seen virtually everything go virtual, and it's surprising that a system as important as US elections remain controlled, at least in part, by pen and paper.
While mail and absentee voting systems have been in place since the 80s, the vast majority of voting Americans line up in the millions outside of polling places across the country to cast their ballot, which is clearly not possible when we’re dealing with a virus that would just kill for people packed together in those numbers. It's safe to say either of these systems will be the way to go in 2020, and senators Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) have made sure of that. “Resilient Elections During Quarantines and Natural Disasters Act of 2020,” a bill introduced by the pair of democrats pushes for no excuse absentee voting by mail or online once a quarter of states and territories declare states of emergencies. It’s a system we know works, because it's the same system in place for Americans abroad or military personnel deployed overseas. Said Wyden on the bill ““American voters are not going to be forced (to choose) between their health and voting.”
If anything, should the situation be similar come November, this election will mark a great experiment in the American democratic process. If the systems offered by Congress do work well for everyone involved, there’s a strong case for an increasingly digital vote in 2024. Perhaps 2016 was the final presidential election where in-person voting was the main battlefield two sparring parties fought on, and from here on out the fate of the nation could be decided by the touch of a screen or the tap of an enter key or the click of a mouse. Whatever the case, in a few months from now the United States will enter one of it's most consequential and energetic elections in recent memory and despite the state of the world, America will decide it's fate, for better or for worse.
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