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As the novel coronavirus spreads throughout the United States during presidential primaries, government officials, campaigns, and elections are scrambling to know how they can allow voters cast votes safely without postponing. Managing in-person during the unprecedented times has enabled the government to deal with new virus-related hurdles byoffering effective voting methods like approval voting, moving polling stations, and disinfecting supplies.
As people try to adjust to the ‘new normal,’ you have the responsibility to flatten the curve and keep other people healthy during campaigns and elections. Now more than ever, the political leaders have to come up with ways to keep voters safe, and to achieve that, they can consider the following:
1. Use Digital Ads
There are many benefits to using digital ads. By using the ads, you will be able to reach specific voters, who you would normally have to visit from door-to-door to engage them. In addition, the ads will help in targeting different voter segments through messages to maximize the effectiveness of digital advertising.
2. Safeguard Democracy
Elections offer citizens the opportunity of removing, replacing, or reconfirming an elected government and representatives. The decision to postpone elections suspends political rights and may undermine the social contract between citizens and government.
Basically, proceeding with the election plans during coronavirus entails risks for decision-makers. Although the latter might be the most responsible and feasible option from the public’s health perspective, the decision may open more risks in different ways. Therefore, the state of the government needs to clear pathways that guide how actors and existing institutions may proceed when the normal electoral routines shall be reinstated.
3. Reallocate Resources
Since the start of this global pandemic, the resources and budget of both campaigns and elections have changed tremendously. If you are working with a team, the staff needs to be sure where your money is going.
To allocate the funds properly, your team can choose to go digital. From anything from SMS to the relational organization so as to improve engagement, digital methods will come in during the epidemic.
4. Take Advantage of Alternative Solutions
Safety and health routines may be incorporated into the election and campaign-related procedures so as to protect voters and officials. If the instructions of public health are meant to prevent proximity and gathering, participation will become challenging in polling stations, where the voting needs physical presence of voters.
Special voting methods, which allow citizens to cast votes remotely, will reduce the security and health hazards linked to the requirements of voting in-person. If alternative methods are adopted, voters will have to be educated and informed on using them.
Final Remarks!
With the number of coronavirus rising tremendously, many states are starting to look at absentee and mail-in voting as a healthy and safe method for voters to cast ballots. This is an understandable method, as in-person voting may force individuals to be near each other during social distancing. To keep voters safe during campaigns and elections, the state of government can consider safeguarding democracy, taking advantage of alternative solutions, and reallocating resources.
