NORFOLK, Va. — It was a choice between health and democracy for voters in Wisconsin on Tuesday when the state -- despite the global coronavirus pandemic -- refused to delay its presidential primary and local elections.
So there voters stood in line, not exactly practicing social distancing guidelines.
The safer solution could've been mail-in ballots. But, President Donald J.Trump contends that mail-in ballots open the door for voter fraud.
"I think mail-in voting is a terrible thing," he said. "I think if you vote, you should go. There's a lot of dishonesty going on with mail-in voting."
But, that's not so, says Christopher Newport University Political Science Professor Quentin Kidd.
"There's no evidence of systematic fraud or anything like that when it comes to mail-in ballots," he said. "And in fact, the President himself voted by mail in Florida just few weeks ago. And there's just no evidence there is a systematic problem with it."
Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, and Utah conduct all elections by mail. Those states say the practice is more secure against election hacking and its convenience is good for voter turnout.
And that, says Kidd, may be the reason that the President opposes mail-in voting.
"I think what the President's real concerns are, is that more people will vote," he said. "And when more people vote, the electorate tends to be more Democratic."
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam announced that through an executive order, the state will delay the state's June 9 Congressional primaries by two weeks. He is also urging lawmakers to move the May 5 municipal elections to November.