Top 10 Reads Ahead of Election Day
We are now days away from one of the most consequential elections of our lifetime. Everything we’ve been faced with this summer, and over the last four years, is on the ballot. Our experts at Fenton have been working tirelessly this election season to support our political clients in their GOTV efforts, in advocating for bold democracy reform, and preparing for what comes next. What happens after Election Day, what could November 4th look like? Whatever we’re up against, we’re proud to be in this fight with you.
A lot has changed since 2016. Despite ongoing and borderline cartoonish voter suppression efforts nationwide, voter turnout has been record-breaking—but that means ballot counting and getting accurate results will take longer. We cannot forget about the threat of international interference in our election. But, most importantly, we cannot take our collective power for granted.
With that in mind, this reading list is a little bit of everything ahead of Election Day. We’re here to be cautiously optimistic. We hope for the best, but we’re prepared for what is gearing up to be a contentious election season and we want to share the best resources and reads to help you prepare, too.
- The Top 5 Reasons to Believe 2020 Won’t Be a 2016 Sequel. Many Democrats are worried that pollsters are making the same mistakes they did four years ago, but this election is different.
By Derek Thompson, The Atlantic - Voters’ Guide to Election Security in the 2020 Presidential Campaign. Foreign interference is a very old problem, but most Americans didn’t used to worry much about it and the security of elections. Now, lessons learned about the Russian attack on the 2016 presidential election have brought the most intense focus ever on the U.S. information environment, elections practices, voter databases and other parts of the infrastructure of democracy.
By Philip Ewing, NPR - The Election Is in Danger. Prepare Now. The more you can do before November 3, the smaller the chance of chaos afterwards. But do what, exactly? I asked some experts for suggestions, and collected the most nonpartisan responses I could find. Pessimism is irresponsible. Nihilism is immoral. Here’s what you can do to protect our democracy from now until November 3 and beyond.
By Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic - The U.S. has already hit 57% of total 2016 voting. By Oct. 22, early voting broke the record for all votes cast before Election Day in 2016. Motivated voters are acting to ensure their ballots are counted amid a pandemic, but their enthusiasm also may signal a turnout that could surpass the 2016 high mark of 139 million votes.
By Brittany Renee Mayes and Kate Rabinowitz, Washington Post - How Long Will Vote Counting Take? Estimates and Deadlines in All 50 States. Although many winners may quickly be evident on election night, the increase in mail voting because of the pandemic is expected to push back the release of full results in many key states.
By Alicia Parlapiano, The New York Times - Guns, lies and ballots set on fire: This is voter suppression in 2020. For many Americans, the stakes are high in the 2020 election. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic and racial tensions have divided the nation and galvanized millions of people to cast their votes weeks before the Nov. 3 election. But the historic turnout has been challenged by a wide range of tactics to suppress voters, particularly voters in communities of color.
By Nicquel Terry Ellis, USAToday - Black Americans are fired up and flocking to the polls. Across the country, Black voters are turning out in huge numbers. The stakes this year are especially high, they say, and nothing less than their health and safety is on the ballot.
By Faith Karimi, CNN - Gen Z, Millennial voters embrace activism and voting, as youth turnout surges ahead of Election Day. Major social movements driven by young activists around climate change, gun safety and Black Lives Matter protests have led to an explosion of civic awareness among younger Americans, who are on track to turn out to vote in record numbers this election and could play a pivotal role in some key battleground states.
By Michelle Ye Hee Lee, Washington Post - She’s 70 years old and had never voted. But this election was too important to sit out. Earlier this month, Kosik did something she had never attempted. She voted. This is the first year Pennsylvania residents can cast ballots by mail without needing a reason. Kosik triple-checked to make sure she did it right.
By Karen Heller, Washington Post - If Trump refuses to accept defeat in November, the republic will survive intact, as it has 5 out of 6 times in the past. The United States has a long history of such contested elections. With one exception, they have not badly damaged the American political system.
By Alexander Cohen, The Conversation