Welcome to bdcs last event before election day. I direct the elections podcast of the bipartisan policy center. We knew 20 20 would be exciting but for election nerds like me and those in idthis panel president ial election years are always eventful that we did not expect all this. According to the us elections project , as of this morning co more than 79 million ballots have been classed including 27 million early ballots and 82 million absentee ballots and 39 million absentee ballots outstanding and in some counties and states we are nearing the point when more ballots were cast before election day 2020 and during the entire 2016 Voting Period land it means this will be the First National election when more than half of the balance were cast prior to election day t. This shift occurred during a once in a century pandemic forcing officials to adapt. Election administrators atthe state and local levels deserve all our admiration. Since voting is happening right now and processing is ha
I think alicia raises two important points. The first is the last, the one, the unintended consequences of changes in election procedures. We almost always get what we think were going to get but then theres always Something Else that follows on. And one is, the behavior of voters with an expectation, particularly in an era of egovernment. Why shouldnt my records and ballots be available where ever i choose to go . The second thing, and military installations if you want to improve the child halls, the general always makes the food better. One of the things i think is interesting with Election Officials is how many of us vote on election day. How many of us experience that line, that q. And the answer is, most of us vote absentee because of that responsibility. So one of the things ive tried to do over the years is ideal in advance to ago and i stand in line and i learned a lot. I learnt a lot by listening to people, but that may be something as a professional goal for each of us is ex