This year because of the covid pandemic do we have any real baseline to understand what is going on with the electorate going into this election . I think this election will be unlike anything we have seen in the past. Its hard to know if there is a good corollary. At this point we are seeing far more early and absentee voting then we saw in 2016. Its really off the charts. That looks atart early and in person voting and how it has trended over the past couple of years. People can see from watching it that the trend has been for more voting by absentee or mailin ballots then by in person on election day. What is happening in the thinking about conduct of elections that has led to this and celebrating this trend this year . Its been a trend about 20 years in the making. Ever since colorado and Washington State made it easy for their voters to vote by mail we have seen that once voters have that option they like that option. In a pandemic voting by mail is a good and safe option. In addi
Understand what is going on with the electorate going into this election . Matthew this election is unlike any in the past so it is hard to know if theres a good corollary. Already we have seen far more early and absentee voting then then we saw in 2016 so it is really off the charts this time around. Host i have a chart that looks at early and in person voting and how it is trended the last couple of years. As folks can see from watching it, the trend has been for more prior voting, either by absentee or mailin ballot, then in person on election day. What is happening in thinking about the conduct of elections, that has led to this . And then accelerating this trend this year . Matt sure. It has been a trend 20 years in the making. Ever since colorado, Washington State and oregon state made it easy for their voters to go. Vote by mail, we are at sea that once voters have the option, they like the option. Clearly during a pandemic, voting by mail is a good and safe option as well. Alre
Toer that joe biden speaks block religious leaders in souls to the at a polls. Then President Trump campaigns in north carolina. Host we are looking at what has become a scene this year, long lines at polling places. Matt, you study this for the bipartisan policy center. Covidear with the pandemic to we have baselines to understand electorate going into this election . This election is unlike any in the past so it is hard to know if theres a good corollary. Already we have seen far more early and absentee voting then it 2016 so it is really off the charts this time around. That lookse a chart at early and in person voting and how it is trended the last couple of years. As folks can see from watching it, the trend has been for more prior voting, either by absentee or mailin ballot, then in person on election day. What is happening in thinking about the conduct of elections, that has led to this . And then accelerating this trend this year . Matt sure. It has been a trend 20 years in the
I think the perceptionce that many people in the United States and also around the worldhi that this is an extraordinary unusual time in a sense where we are out of time will be a curiosity in the future. People will look back and wonder about that wonderment. And he gets kind of an interesting phenomenon. When you think about today do you compare it to any other time in history . As a historian. Im interested in that. We have a cognitive tendency. In the same way im the kind of person that seems like this and family members. Our need for familiarity. For most of my career as a historian. What time is this like. It is an easy story to write. I think theres a whole crop of president ial biographers who go out on talk shows. I generally find them to be not i in this era. Its actually a way to kind of contain the chaos. It is a way to avoid what is truly strange about this. What do we mean when we talk about American History. How are we to reckon with the fact that our present day is so p
So little perspective on this moment, its quite impossible to say. I think the perception that many people in the United States and of course also around the world have that this is an extraordinary unusual time something we are the time out of time, will be curiosity in the future people will look back and wonder about that very wonderment i think its an interesting phenomenon. When you think about today do you compare it to any period in history . Jill lepore as a historian im interested in analogies we have a cognitive tendency to enjoy analogies to find d one thing to be like another all the time. Just in the same way and the kind of person that sees likenesses and family members, and look at a new baby and say, that looks just like great grandma someone so. Have the same time, even as they say i recognize a lot of that is minded perception, my need for familiarity. I think there has been for most of my career as a historian the question to ask historians is what time is this like.