The Daily · Podcast summary
Trump’s War on Mail-In Voting
The New York Times' Michael Barbaro and Nick Corasaniti discuss President Trump's audacious plan to restrict mail-in voting and the legal battles and confusion it has created.
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In a recent episode, Michael Barbaro and Nick Corasaniti from The New York Times delve into President Trump's controversial efforts to restrict mail-in voting, a move that has sparked significant legal challenges and widespread confusion across the United States. The discussion highlights the unprecedented nature of the situation, where the executive branch is attempting to leverage the postal service to influence the upcoming midterm elections.
The State of Mail-In Ballots
Nick Corasaniti explains that early voting has already begun in some states, with North Carolina and Delaware having started sending out mail ballots on Friday. This means that ballots are already on their way to voters. However, many listeners are confused about the state of mail-in ballots due to actions taken by the President and the subsequent legal battles. The core issue revolves around the President and the executive branch seeking to leverage the United States Postal Service (USPS) to change how elections are run. This stems from an executive order signed earlier this year, aiming to restrict mail voting and essentially turning the USPS into an arbiter of which states can have mail voting.
Corasaniti emphasizes the critical role mail-in voting plays, especially post-pandemic. While mail voting isn't at the same clip as in 2020, nearly 30% of Americans cast a ballot by mail in the 2020 elections, representing tens of millions of voters. Furthermore, eight states conduct their elections almost entirely by mail. This underscores the significant impact any changes to mail-in voting could have on a large portion of the American electorate.
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