This case study explores the effects of COVID-19 on the 2020 presidential election.  It specifically analyzes the actions taken to offer open and safe participation.  And it examines campaigns to overturn legally cast and counted ballots and “the degree they shed light on administrative adaptations to COVID-19 and the character of the US electoral administration system.”  It hails the improvements in postal voting, early voting, and other voting systems as “a real achievement for US electoral officials.”  But it cautions that states must be more proactive in anticipating disruptions to electoral administration.

“The coincidence of the pandemic with the presidential election calendar revealed that state laws related to emergency election procedures are often inadequate in the face of a disruption as comprehensive as Covid-19.  The National Conference of State Legislatures notes that ‘[at] least 45 states have statutes that deal with Election Day emergencies in some way, though there is little consistency between state[s] on what events would be covered and exactly what plans will be followed in each emergency’ (NCSL 2020c).  Because it is possible, even likely, that comprehensive emergencies like the Covid-19 pandemic will continue to arise, it is important for states to develop clear election emergency statutes and that these be developed on a non-partisan basis.”