Coronavirus Flips 2020 Election Script: Battleground Politics Narrow Down To How States Are Handling Crisis
Iowa, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin helped President Donald Trumps secure the presidency in 2016. How will outbreaks in those states change political dynamics as November creeps closer? In other election news: voting rights, third parties and fundraising totals.
The Associated Press:
Battleground Power Plays Rage As Everyday Politics Go Quiet
Door-knocking? Over. Local party activity? Some Facebook traffic, if that. Across an arc of vital swing states, the coronavirus has put politics on an uneasy pause. Instead, political fights among state leaders from Iowa to Pennsylvania over the handling of the pandemic’s impact are raging as it spreads over this electoral heartland. (Beaumont, 4/20)
The Wall Street Journal:
Coronavirus Intensifies Legal Tussle Over Voting Rights
Intense court battles over voting rights and election security always promised to be part of the 2020 election cycle, but the coronavirus has added new urgency to the cases, which are multiplying nationwide. This month’s fight over when and how Wisconsin voters would cast their ballots marked the unofficial start of the litigation campaign. In the two weeks since, courts in several other states have issued notable decisions about conducting elections during a pandemic, and a host of new lawsuits has been filed. (Kendall and Corse, 4/19)
Politico:
Will The Pandemic Keep Third Parties Off The 2020 Ballot?
The pandemic may have robbed Donald Trump of a growing economy. It may have trapped Joe Biden in his basement. But it may yet do something even worse to the Libertarian and Green party nominees: Keep them off the ballot in many of this year’s key states. In 2016, the Libertarian Party was on the general election ballot in all 50 states; this year, it has secured ballot access in just 35. Similarly, the Green Party—which in 2016 had its best election ever by making the ballot in 44 states, with a further three states granting the party’s candidate official write-in status—has qualified for the November ballot in only 22 states. (Scher, 4/19)
Politico:
Trump Money Machine Overcomes Coronavirus In March
The Republican National Committee raised a record $24 million last month, an early indication that President Donald Trump’s fundraising machine could be able to withstand the economic collapse brought on by the coronavirus. Despite a global pandemic that has shuttered much of the U.S. economy, the RNC’s total represented its best March fundraising performance in history. The figures will be part of a federal campaign finance filing due Monday. (Isenstadt, 4/20)
