Hurricane Sandy has certainly left a disaster in her wake. And the legacy of the destruction could be one of the messiest presidential elections in history.
The NYT has reported sporadic interruptions to early voting in Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia. Absentee ballots—including those cast by members of the military or National Guard members who have been called up to assist with the disaster recovery—will not likely be delivered on time for Tuesday in many places along the coastline. Many voters may still be displaced or in shelters far from their polling places by Tuesday, and the dispersal of information for their participation will be a struggle at best. Less than 100 hours before polls are due to open, election officials in several states are still assessing their polling locations and laying out contingency plans to the Department of State, from voting in other cities, to makeshift polling places held at military vehicles.
Which begs the question of the natural disaster causing widespread disenfranchisement, and what can be done to prevent it. Congress can pass a law changing the date of the election to encourage participation among victims of the hurricane. But Republicans have been waging a systematic war to disenfranchise with bills across the country to force voters to show ID, restrict or complicated voter registration, and reduce the ease and accessibility of voting. And they hold control of the House.
In this contentious partisan climate, Republicans are unlikely to propose such a date change that would allow for displaced storm victims to cast their ballot, and to ensure absentee ballots are counted, since the change would likely add more support to the Democratic candidates on the ticket. And if a Democrat were to propose such a change, it would leave their party open to criticism that such a change be politically motivated, and that Obama needs more time to furnish a win (a point I personally think it untrue – the hardest hit areas, New York and New Jersey, are safe blue states. Even with limited participation, Obama will likely win the popular vote in both states.).
Either the election continues on contingency plans, most likely with widespread disenfranchisement; or the election is moved and becomes a national, embroiled partisan fight. Which leaves the storm victims in the middle of a lose-lose situation.
We’ve seen politicians of all parties come together to do what’s best for Americans in the aftermath of the super-storm. I’d like to see them come together to find a solution that allows everyone eligible to cast their ballots without restriction and confusion.
Thanks for Harmony Wu for the wording of the title. If you would like to help victims of the hurricane, please join the Young Democrats of Massachusetts trip to New Jersey next weekend. We welcome volunteers of any political persuasion to participate.