Forget the phony hype about the “stolen” 2020 election. It was, in truth, a very secure and safe affair, and many good things happened. Well, it wasn’t perfect, but it was far from the disaster some predicted. That’s what a post-election report from the Brennan Center for Justice says. A few highlights include:
Significant policy changes made voting more accessible in the wake of the pandemic. Thirty-five states changed their voting laws to make casting a ballot more accessible. Forty-five states and DC allowed any voter to vote by mail or absentee ballot this November, including eleven states that changed their rules in response to Covid-19. Nine states and DC sent all voters a mail ballot for the November election, including five jurisdictions (California, DC, Nevada, New Jersey, Vermont) that did so for the first time. At least seven states expanded their early voting hours or began offering early voting in person.
Businesses and philanthropists supported citizens’ voting rights. More than 1,900 companies, organized as the Time To Vote coalition, pledged to ensure their staff had time available to cast a ballot. The Civic Alliance, another nonpartisan group of businesses working to promote participation in democracy, advocated for safe access to the polls, conveyed their trust in election officials, and impressed upon Americans the need for patience as every vote was counted. Members of the beleaguered restaurant industry stepped up to serve hot meals to voters waiting in long lines at polls.
Americans showed up to vote. This year, in the face of a pandemic, the electorate broke turnout records, reaching 66.7 percent turnout — the highest it’s been in a century.