Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
After Months Of Railing Against Mail-In Voting, Trump Praises Florida For It
Politico: Trump Backtracks On Mail-In Voting, Says It's OK To Do In Florida
President Donald Trump on Tuesday reversed his opposition to mail-in voting and encouraged it — at least in one crucial battleground state — after railing against the practice for months amid the coronavirus pandemic. “Whether you call it Vote by Mail or Absentee Voting, in Florida the election system is Safe and Secure, Tried and True,” Trump wrote in a tweet. “Florida’s Voting system has been cleaned up (we defeated Democrats attempts at change), so in Florida I encourage all to request a Ballot & Vote by Mail! #MAGA” (Oprysko, 8/4)
The Washington Post: Anxieties About Mail Ballots On Display In Latest Round Of Primaries, Highlighting Worries For Fall
Voters voiced concerns about the delivery and security of mail ballots as five states held primaries Tuesday, highlighting how the rapid shift to absentee voting during the coronavirus pandemic has emerged as a central issue in this year’s elections. In Michigan, voters complained that they received their ballots just before Tuesday’s vote or not at all, raising fears that political pressure could be affecting the U.S. Postal Service three months before the Nov. 3 presidential election. In Kansas and Missouri, many conservatives chose to cast ballots in person despite the possible health risk, some echoing President Trump’s unfounded claims that mail voting leads to widespread fraud. (Viebeck, Gowen and Ruble, 8/4)
The Hill: Democrats Twice As Likely As Republicans To Be Wary Of In-Person Voting: Poll
Democratic voters are more than twice as likely as Republican voters to be concerned about the risks of in-person voting during the coronavirus pandemic, according to Ipsos-Axios polling released Tuesday. A slight majority overall — 52 percent — said they see in-person voting as dangerous, according to the polling. The survey found a wide partisan split, with 64 percent of Democrats expressing concerns compared to just 29 percent of Republicans. (Budryk, 8/4)
NPR: Wanted: Young People To Work The Polls This November
A major challenge to this fall's elections is that most pollworkers are over the age of 60, and at high risk for COVID-19. Municipalities are using creative measures to recruit younger pollworkers. (Sprunt, 8/4)
Wisconsin Examiner: CDC Report: Voting In Milwaukee Fell April 7, But COVID-19 Cases Didn’t Rise
The April 7 election doesn’t appear to have sparked a surge in COVID-19 infections in Milwaukee, according to a new report from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — but it also saw overall voter participation cut nearly in half and close to an 80% drop in in-person voting in the city compared with four years ago. (Gunn, 8/3)
AP: Tennessee Mail Ballot Requests For November Start Wednesday
Tennessee voters can begin requesting absentee ballots for the November election Wednesday. In June, a judge ordered that all eligible Tennessee voters would have the option to vote by mail during the coronavirus pandemic. The ruling remains effective, but that could change. (8/5)
In other election news —
Kaiser Health News: Pandemic’s Bumps And Backlash Shape Montana Race Poised To Steer US Senate
Bradshaw Sumners watched throughout February as COVID-19 hot spots developed in major American cities, waiting to see when the coronavirus pandemic would manifest in Montana. When it finally did, life for the Livingston resident and father of two changed dramatically. His daughters, 8 and 4 years old, were suddenly home from school. The restaurant group where Sumners works maintenance shut down, thrusting him onto unemployment alongside legions of workers nationwide. (Sakariassen, 8/5)
