Dari Sylvester Tran – författare

In 2020, COVID-19 became a global pandemic devastating physical and mental health, social wellbeing, and the economic status of millions globally. Unforgettable images of death and the deep wounds inflicted on the livelihoods of employees and business owners were broadcast daily in the media. Less visible was the political fallout that threatened the rights of countless voters seeking to exercise their democratic rights under exceptional conditions. In the United States, the scourge of the pandemic came during a highly contentious presidential election year, where states were challenged to administer multiple elections in the context of changing public health mandates, critical supply and personnel shortages, and decreased election funding. What lessons can be drawn from this political moment to ensure that future elections continue to be resilient in the face of threatening circumstances? What reforms adopted in COVID-19’s midst will remain—for better or worse? Featuring cutting-edge research from top and emerging scholars of election administration, both inside and outside of academia, Pandemic at the Polls is a must-read for elections scholars, administrators, and students of democratic elections.

This critical and systematic analysis of election reforms post-HAVA (Help America Vote Act of 2002) offers a detailed look ahead at the significant challenges that remain in the context of a new presidential administration. Employing a mixed methodological approach, this book analyzes the biggest election challenges faced by voters and election administrators in the areas of voter registration, polling place and non-polling place voting, election administration personnel, and voting technology. Within the framework of the competing values of integrity and access, this book fills a crucial gap in the existing literature by analyzing the impact of election reform wins and losses. The book concludes with a promising agenda for the future of election reform and the political considerations that will be brought to bear on that agenda.