With just over 11 weeks until the general election in the United States, officials are running out of time to figure out how millions of voters can safely cast their ballots during a global pandemic. Many polling places are indoors (where the virus can spread more easily), they’re often staffed by older people (who are more vulnerable to this virus), and lines can be crowded and drag on for hours (especially in poorer neighborhoods). While mail-in voting seems an obvious solution, cost-cutting measures enacted by the new postmaster general Louis DeJoy (who has been a major donor to U.S. President Donald Trump) have left many people worried about the agency’s ability to handle a voting-related volume spike. The debate has become deeply politicized, with many Republicans—including U.S. President Donald Trump—railing against mail-in voting as a fraud-ridden enterprise (claims that are unfounded), while many Democrats say it’s the only way to both keep people healthy and protect their right to vote.
New Zealand is taking a different approach: rather than holding its elections on Sept. 19 as scheduled, voting is being delayed until Oct. 17. That move comes as the country—which had been doing a remarkable job of containing the virus—is dealing with a small but alarming new cluster of cases in Auckland, its most populous city.
“Ultimately I want to ensure we have a well-run election that gives all voters the best chance to receive all the information about parties and candidates and delivers certainty for the future," said Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern when announcing the delay (under New Zealand law, she has the sole power to make such a decision).
The idea of an incumbent head of government delaying an election that might result in her losing power might be shocking to many Americans, especially in the context of the 2020 U.S. presidential campaign. Even more surprising? New Zealand’s opposition parties generally support Arden’s decision, CNN reports.
While Trump and others close to him have floated the idea of rescheduling the U.S. election, he can’t follow Arden’s lead for two reasons.
The first is a matter of law. In New Zealand (and in other countries with parliamentary systems) elections usually happen at a regular cadence, but can sometimes be called early (through a vote of no confidence, for instance), or delayed (in times of crisis, for instance)—simply put, the timing of parliamentary elections tend to be more malleable. But in the U.S., an 1845 Congressional act mandates that federal elections are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, no exceptions.
Second is the political reality facing both leaders. Arden has handled the pandemic about as well as possible, earning her an approval rating of nearly 61%—the kind of figure you’re more likely to see with a wartime leader of a modern democracy. That popularity gave her the political cover she needed to delay the elections for the benefit of public health. Trump’s approval rating, meanwhile, is a mere 42%, (compared to an average of 47.9% for his predecessor, Barack Obama, 49.4% for George W. Bush and 55.1% for Bill Clinton). In addition, unlike with Arden, many of Trump’s detractors blame him for botching the COVID-19 crisis badly enough that in-person voting will likely remain hazardous even through Election Day. Because there’s a decent chance Trump could lose in November, his opponents are much less willing than Arden’s to give him any extra unearned time in office.
All this is to say: despite the potential health risks and numerous unsettled questions about process, the next presidential election in the U.S. will without a doubt happen on Nov. 6, 2020. The country’s political system and reality wouldn’t permit anything else. It’s now incumbent on our leaders to find a way to let every single American have their voices heard, without putting their lives at risk—there’s simply too much at stake for anything else.
TODAY'S CORONAVIRUS OUTLOOK
The Global Situation
More than 21.6 million people around the world had been sickened by COVID-19 as of 1 AM eastern time today, and more than 775,000 people have died.
Here is every country with over 300,000 confirmed cases:
Japan reported today its worst economic downturn on record, with gross domestic product down nearly 28% year-over-year in April through June as the pandemic slashed domestic consumption. Some experts fear the outbreak could result in Japan once again struggling with runaway deflation, a problem that long plagued its economy before the era of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s “Abenomics” stimulus efforts.
Social distancing requirements in Hong Kong have been extended another week, the government there said Monday amid a minor but worrying spike in cases. The region reported 44 new cases on Monday after a stretch of daily new cases in the triple digits, Reuters reports.
Rev. Jun Kwang-hun, a South Korean pastor who has protested the government’s social distancing measures, has tested positive for the virus, according to ABC News. More than 300 cases of the virus have been linked to the preacher’s Seoul megachurch.
The Situation in the U.S.
The U.S. had recorded more than 5.4 million coronavirus cases as of 7 AM eastern time today. More than 170,000 people have died. Here's where daily cases have risen or fallen over the last 14 days, shown in confirmed cases per 100,000 residents:
On August 16, there were more than 42,048 new cases and 571 new deaths confirmed in the U.S. Here's how the country as a whole is currently trending:
With the pandemic still raging in the U.S., Democrats are taking their convention online this week , starting today. The speeches will be aired online and broadcast on multiple channels; presumptive nominee Joe Biden is set to appear on Thursday.
An Oklahoma State University sorority house is under quarantine after nearly two dozen members tested positive for the virus, CNN reports. It’s yet another example of a Greek life outbreak that underscores how challenging it will be to keep the virus off college campuses this coming semester.
A record number of pandemic-era air travelers—862,949—were screened by the Transportation Security Administration yesterday, the agency says. While that’s still significantly fewer than the 2.5 million-plus passengers who were screened on the same date last year, it’s a sign that air travel is continuing to pick back up despite the public-health risks involved.
All numbers unless otherwise specified are from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering, and are accurate as of August 17, 1 AM eastern time. To see larger, interactive versions of these maps and charts, click here.
WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW
What We Know (and Don’t Know) About COVID-19
It’s been more than half a year since COVID-19 became a household name—a good time to take stock of what’s known and what isn’t yet known about this novel virus, as this STAT piece does. Read more here.
Rapid Testing Is the New Velvet Rope
Rapid tests that deliver results in under an hour are being used across the Hamptons this summer to keep party season in something close to full swing, the New York Times reports. But these tests are often less accurate than the kind that take longer for results to be delivered. Read more here.
School Lunch in the Virus Era
Among the big changes coming to U.S. K-12 schools that decide to reopen this fall: no more crowded cafeterias jammed with kids swapping snacks. Instead, at least some students will eat in their classrooms, USA TODAY reports; pre-packaged meals will also be part of the mix. Read more here.
Thanks for reading. We hope you find the Coronavirus Brief newsletter to be a helpful tool to navigate this very complex situation, and welcome feedback at coronavirus.brief@time.com.
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Today's newsletter was written by Alex Fitzpatrick and edited by Elijah Wolfson.
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