Lessons from the 2020 Election Cycle

While the COVID-19 pandemic brought uncertainty during the primaries, states learned from those early contests and put measures in place to ensure voter access and safety while protecting the integrity of the elections process. These efforts were successful – voter turnout in the 2020 General Election broke records, with 66.7% of eligible voters participating in the election, the highest turnout since 1900. This turnout also resulted in success for a number of public health measures, success that was facilitated in part by state efforts to expand options available to voters, including expanded absentee ballot eligibility, extended voter registration deadlines, and a push for early and absentee voting. Success was also due to strong community organizing and the efforts of private individuals and businesses to ensure that the election was adequately staffed and resourced in the absence of additional federal funding. While some states have made or are making permanent changes to facilitate voter participation, and despite the record turnout and reports that this election was the most secure in American history, other states want to roll back changes made to elections policy during the pandemic and restrict voter access. The courts also seem to support restricting voting rights protections that conflict with state legislative decisions, and public health and elections officials experienced threats to their safety due to tensions over the pandemic and the outcome of the election that remain high. The Biden administration, Congress, and state governments must prioritize taking action to protect the right to vote, facilitate voter participation, and ensure the continued safety and security of future elections. This paper was prepared as part of the COVID-19 Policy Playbook: Legal Recommendations for a Safer, More Equitable Future, a comprehensive report published by Public Health Law Watch in partnership with the de Beaumont Foundation and the American Public Health Association.