Should the Presidential Election Be Postponed in Light of a Pandemic? No!
by Mani Subramani
There is absolutely no need to postpone the November 2020 elections on account of the Coronavirus.
Firstly the COVID-19 pandemic is roughly 2 times as virulent in its spread as the common flu and about 20 times more fatal among the elderly and most vulnerable. So as long as the risk of transmission can be reduced 100 fold, voting should be at least as safe as voting during a normal flu season. This is not achievable if we do everything business as usual. However, with sufficient social distancing (6 feet) and sanitizing, the transmission rate can be reduced sufficiently to make elections safe. To avoid long lines at the polling places states can keep voting open early for a full week or encourage mail in ballots or both. Federal government should allocate funds as part of a stimulus or supplemental to cover the additional costs.
At the time of this writing, we are number three in terms of total number of infections behind China and Italy. Unfortunately, it would not be surprising if we are number one when you read this. However, based on the experience of other nations the viral spread should peak in three months or less. In spite of the bungling and scattered response and utter lack of leadership by this administration, thankfully many state governors are acting in a manner that is appropriate to the seriousness of the outbreak. This should ensure a peak of infections sometime this summer hopefully with a minimal fatality rate like that of Germany or Switzerland.
Mani Subramani is a veteran of the semiconductor equipment industry. He enjoys following politics and economics.
This article is part of the monthly Forum Series, where you get eyes on both sides of a hot button issue.
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Should the Presidential Election Be Postponed in Light of a Pandemic? Yes!
by Rameysh Ramdas
In light of the Coronavirus pandemic and the associated economic meltdown, President Trump and Congress must postpone the November 2020 election. Yes, Democrats would loathe giving the President a few more months, but it is the right thing to do in these circumstances. The Constitution does not prohibit this action but says it should come from the states. Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Ohio, Puerto Rico and Rhode Island have postponed their primaries.
While the logistics of conducting campaign rallies will be a challenge, given the restriction of the number of people who can gather, more importantly, this will allow the President, his administration and state leaders to focus on containing the virus and in reviving the economy.
Yes, a postponement is only possible with great difficulty and cannot be done by an executive order. All the states must agree and their legislatures approve the measure. But the cost of the effort is well worth the benefits it brings to the nation and the world at large. And, this has to be done now as in many states, voting starts months earlier.
Yes, this would have been unthinkable and deplorable in a normal time, but this is a pandemic of epic propositions. A prudent approach would be to have the elected officials on combating this calamity and start reviving the economy and the stock market. I urge the Administration and state legislatures to think outside the box and focus on the epidemic now.
Rameysh Ramdas, a resident of the SF Bay Area, has a keen interest in Politics and Current Events.
This article is part of the monthly Forum Series, where you get eyes on both sides of a hot button issue.