Whether you live in the United States or just like to keep up with national news, it is likely that you’ve noticed 2020 has been a year of many first for the United States. Heck, with COVID, the entire world has seen many firsts.
Some individuals are experiencing disease for the first time in their lives. That being said, there is also no denying that the 2020 election was one of many firsts. While 2016 proved that every votes matter, 2020 proved that the government is willing to take their time to make sure they get things right the first time around.
Well, this is what many think the government did when they took so long to announce the winner of this year’s election. Whatever the situation, this year’s election was completely different than year’s past. And, it wasn’t all necessarily because the government took so long to announce the results. It was because there were so many changes in different states prior to the election. What were these changes?
The State Of Florida
Back in Fall, most citizens in the state of Florida voted nearly two to one to give felons the right to vote once they completed their prison sentence and probation. There is no denying that at the time, the passage of this Amendment seemed like it might completely transform Florida’s voting process. There is no denying that it certainly changed things, adding 1.4 million more voters to the polls. In addition to this, a huge percentage of them were black. This is why the Amendment forced Florida’s Republican-majority legislature to step in.
In the month of May, the Statehouse along with the Senate passed a bill that added another step to the restoration of the voting right of felons. This means that there was another hurdle that felons had to get across before they could vote again. Not only did they now have to graduate from prison and parole, but they would also have to make sure that all their outstanding court fees were paid. Governor Ron DeSantis in conjunction with another Republican elected last November signed this bill in late June. Both said that the government considers court fines a part of the prison sentence and it seemed that the legislature agreed with them.
Also, The State Of Ohio
Just like Florida, Ohio could be considered one of the major stepping stones on the road to the White House. Just ask anyone that places bets and gambles with quality online casinos like casino and they will tell you the exact same thing. Trump easily won the state back in 2016 and this is probably one of the major reasons that he ended up in the White House. Obama also claimed the state when he took he narrowly took the throne over George W back in 2004. Either way, Ohio is a stepping stone and this is why the changes recently made in the state were so shocking.
Not only were they shocking, but they could play a major role in the outcome of future presidential elections. Since the early and late 90s, Ohio has stuck by a “use it or lose it” policy. This meant that election officials would send notices out to anyone who fails to cast a ballot during the two-year voting period. Those who did not respond and did not vote were dropped from the registered voter’s list. Between 2011 and 2014, because of this policy, nearly 2 million names were purged from the official voter’s registration list. While Ohio currently has 8 million registered voters, this is a policy that they no longer enforce.
Don’t Forget About Arizona
While many might not consider Arizona a huge role player in the United States election, there is no denying that the state counts for something. Back in January, the state tried to pass a bill that would adopt the “use it or lose it” law. This is also a rule that would be applied to the Permanent Early Voting List (PEVL). Given that nearly 80 percent of the state is signed up on this list, this is a policy that could have major effects on the outcome of future elections. Because of thee PEVL, nearly three-quarters of the state casts their ballots via mail. This new policy would purge voters who missed two election cycles. This would average out to about 70 percent of the entire state, which would have major repercussions.
