…it’s officially two weeks until election day so let’s get into it.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you should know that on November 3rd the United States will be electing our next president. This election is unlike any other in US history, but you didn’t need me to tell you that.
So, Joe Biden or Donald Trump? One candidate was endorsed by both the Taliban and the KKK, while the other was endorsed by a broad bipartisan coalition and the New England Journal of Medicine so it really is a tough call (*eye roll*).
Don’t get me wrong, Joe Biden was not my first choice either, but at this point the majority of Americans have made up their mind on which candidate to support, so I’m not here to convince you to support Biden (although please do).
Instead, here is everything you might not already know about this election season:
The reason this election is unlike any other is because of how most of the electorate will cast their ballots. We are in the middle of a pandemic (although 8 months in doesn’t feel like the middle) and a lot of American’s are voting absentee or early voting. THIS is a great resource to learn more about your election day options, or to double check your registration and polling location.
This means a few things for the election. Due to the high volume of absentee ballots being sent in, it is more than likely that the election won’t be decided on election day. While some voters will still vote early and in-person, a huge chunk will be absentee, which has less immediate results. It is also likely that this election will result in lawsuits and court cases. Realistically, lots of ballots will be miscounted or lost, and so both candidates are likely to challenge results in key states.
Speaking of which, let’s talk about swing states. There is a lot more to unpack about swing states and the electoral college than can fit in one article, let alone one paragraph, but that being said here’s the basics. The six states with the most electors are California (55), Texas (38), New York (29), Florida (29), Illinois (20), and Pennsylvania (20). Major states to watch this election will be Texas, Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Ohio.
Now, obviously I think it is everyone’s civic and moral duty to vote, but in heavy majority states like New York and California your vote for president doesn’t really matter. We know these states will be blue, nobody is expecting that to change any time soon. That being said, for years Texas was one of the most red states in the country and it is up for grabs in this election, so anything can happen. In swing states however every single vote matters. For example, Michigan was lost by 10,704 votes in 2016. That is only two (2!!) votes per precinct allowed Trump to win Michigan and two (probably three) Supreme Court Justices s. But regardless of your state, your vote in local elections does still matter so get out and vote!
Lastly, the two candidates are scheduled for one more debate on Oct. 22 in Nashville, Tennessee. Kristen Welker, an anchor and White House correspondent for NBC News, is the final debate moderator, and this time their microphones will be muted during their opening statements for each topic in an effort to limit the interruptions, but un muted after that.
The countdown is on. It’s time to cast your vote.