The US Presidential Election 2020: Decline of Deliberative Democracy
Sanjay Pulipaka
The contentious and prolonged counting process and aftermath of the US presidential election suggests anything but a smooth transition of power. It is also on the verge of possibly entering a lengthy litigation phase, with President Donald Trump’s campaign already launching a legal challenge in several courts across key swing states against alleged electoral irregularities.Contrary to pre-election opinion surveys that had predicted an easy win for the Democratic candidate Joe Biden, the election turned out to be very closely contested, with Trump unexpectedly securing almost 48% of the popular vote. Given the pandemic, some states allowed mail-in ballots – a process which is now being questioned by the Republicans for its credibility. Since Trump and Biden are locked in a close contest for electoral college votes, every vote cast matters. There has been little clarity as to how many mail-in ballots were in play in the important battleground states of Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia and Nevada.
