Vote-by-Mail: COVID-19 and the 2020 Presidential Primaries

High levels of trust in the USPS were also found in a Gallup survey taken around the same time (Ander and Swift 2014). In this study, over two-thirds of all respondents said the U.S. Postal Service was doing an “excellent” or “good” job, with support being highest among the youngest respondents. A USPS report produced by the Office of the Inspector General (2018) finds that “while millennials check their mail less frequently, their overall satisfaction with the Postal Services is similar to older age cohorts” (3). Neither Ander and Swift (2014) nor the OIG (2018) report provide any differences between Democrats and Republicans with respect to satisfaction and/or trust in the USPS, likely indicating they were not significant.

An undervote occurs when a voter casts a ballot, but votes for a fewer number of candidates in a given race than is legally permitted. Roll-off voting occurs when a voter casts legally valid votes in only races at the top of the ballot, but leaves the remainder of the ballot blank.

The residual vote rate is the proportion of ballots that contain either undervotes or overvotes. Overvoting is when a voter votes for a greater number of candidates in a given race than is legally permitted.

Wee, Sui-Lee and Donald G. McNeil Jr. 2020. “China Identifies New Virus Causing Pneumonia-like Illness.” New York Times. January 8, 2020. Accessed on September 6, 2020. Available from: https://​www.​nytimes.​com/​2020/​01/​08/​health/​china-pneumonia-outbreak-virus.​html.

Shih, Gerry and Lena H. Sun. 2020. “China identifies new strain of coronavirus as source of pneumonia outbreak.” Washington Post. January 9, 2020. Accessed on September 6, 2020. Available from: https://​www.​washingtonpost.​com/​world/​asia_​pacific/​china-identifies-new-strain-of-coronavirus-as-source-of-pneumonia-outbreak/​2020/​01/​09/​f2625650-329f-11ea-971b-43bec3ff9860_​story.​html.

California issued the first statewide lockdown on March 20 at 12 a.m. (KSLA 12 News 2020).

New Hampshire’s presidential primary was the first in the nation and it was held on February 11. South Carolina’s primary was on February 29, but only for Democratic voters as the Republican Party canceled its primary. North Carolina’s presidential primary was on March 3.

All three states’ presidential primaries were originally scheduled for April 28. Maryland and Rhode Island postponed their primaries until June 2 while Delaware ultimately held its primary on July 7.