Voting in the Age of Coronavirus
How voters made their voices heard in the midst of a pandemic.
In March of 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic first began its assault on the United States, state and local governments were blindsided and overwhelmed with an onslaught of questions on how best to protect and support their citizens. But while questions of business closures and stimulus checks dominated much of the news cycle for the first few months of the pandemic, as summer approached, a pressing question began to weigh on local governments. How best to safely conduct an election, while in the midst of one of the the worst pandemics in American history?
With concerts and major sporting events cancelled nationwide, restaurant capacities limited, and the vast majority of large gatherings prohibited, state and local governments were faced with the unique challenge of protecting the right to vote, while combating a widespread, potentially life-threatening, and oddly politicized pandemic. Across America, citizens reacted to the pandemic with a sweeping array of emotions: panic, suspicion, anger, and unfortunately, indifference. Election workers had to acknowledge the complicated feelings of their fellow Americans, all while abiding by health guidelines and combating the usual complications of running an election.
The politicization of COVID-19 didn’t, and hasn’t, helped matters. Strangely, heated political debates have been made out of simple suggestions, like mask-wearing and social distancing. Lone Star College student Benjamin Beach described the situation as, “Unnecessarily complicated. These debates don’t need to happen. Masks and social distancing are recommended by the vast majority of experts, and aren’t oppressive or taking away people’s freedoms.” This politicization of the pandemic presented unique challenges for local officials running elections. CDC guidelines needed to be enforced at polling locations, but in a manner that didn’t potentially enflame voters or cause conflict.
State and local officials went about setting a number of guidelines and health precautions in place, starting with poll workers themselves. In Harris County, Houston, Texas, poll workers had to undergo weekly coronavirus testing, and were well equipped with face shields, gloves, and masks. Prairie View A&M University poll worker Ahlaischa Alfred felt that Harris County had done more than enough to make their election workers feel safe and protected. “Everyone was given face shields and gloves, with plenty of extras,” Alfred said. “There honestly wasn’t much I was concerned about. Voters wore masks and socially distanced themselves in line, and all the indoor workers had plexiglass shields.”
With poll workers well equipped to protect their health, local officials turned their focus to aiding voters themselves. While Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order saying masks were not to be required at polling places, many counties combated this declaration, citing poll worker and voter safety. With many polling places undercut by Abbott’s order, election officials went out of their way to enforce social distancing, with the majority of Texas counties receiving stickers declaring six feet of distance. These were set up both inside and outside polling places, in accordance with how many voters were expected on a given day or location.
Additionally, an extended four-week period of early voting eased matters for Harris County, and the rest of Texas. With such a prolonged amount of time to early vote, more Houstonians felt comfortable going to the polls, as more days of early voting meant fewer lines and smaller crowds, decreasing most voters’ fear of catching COVID-19. Polling places like NRG Stadium had their shortest voting lines in years, thanks to the extended early voting period, as well as offering drive-through voting, which proved popular with voters who had more significant concerns about the pandemic.
Come early voting in October, the vast majority of Harris County voters both wore masks, and abided by social distancing guidelines while in line at polling places. First time voter Mykala Whitaker participated in early voting at the University of Houston, and was impressed by the conduct of both student and older voters. “Every single person in line was wearing a mask,” Whitaker said. “Everybody stayed their six feet apart and followed the instructions. I was kind of nervous there might be people trying to argue about masks or something, but everybody was respectful.”
Even in the midst of the pandemic, Harris County shattered voter registration, early voting, and election day records, with overwhelming turnout across the city of Houston. Even the 18–24 age demographic, notoriously absent at the polls in past elections, tripled their numbers since 2016 in an effort to make their voices heard. Without the extended period of early voting, and the outstanding work of volunteers at polling places to enforce health guidelines and keep voters safe, this significant turnout might not have occurred.
While America is still concerned and conflicted about the coronavirus, and remains deeply divided on political issues, the actions of volunteers and voters during the 2020 election speak volumes about what local communities can achieve when they unite. Fear and division serve no purpose in a pandemic, and Harris County’s early voting system and Election Day workers served as needed reminders of the good this country is capable of.
