Hello Shamrocks, the 2020 presidential election has come to a close so let’s reflect on some of the changes in this year’s election. This election has been a several week process, with citizens mailing their votes in early, and some states allowing citizens to vote until Friday, November 6.      

Due to the pandemic, citizens were given the opportunity to mail in their votes, and this played a key role in the election. Several major states such as Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Wisconsin were still undecided the night of the election as the mail-in votes were the deciding factor in several states. The process of counting these votes took multiple days.

This year’s election was a success in terms of getting people to vote. We had the most voters ever in one election. Additionally, Joe Biden and Donald Trump are now in first and second for votes in a single election. Furthermore, when comparing this election to the one in 2016, in which 60.1% of eligible Americans voted, this year, 66% of eligible Americans voted.

The record-breaking amount of voters this year may be a result of the call to vote at Black Lives Matter rallies as well as by celebrities and professional sports leagues, specifically the NBA. 

Both candidates took different stances when it came to the topic of mail-in voting, Joe Biden encouraged it, whereas Donald Trump opposed it. Looking at the results, more mail-in votes went to Joe Biden, which ended up winning him the election. 

You have to wonder if Joe Biden’s campaign decision to endorse mail-in voting played a part in his winning this year’s presidential election.