Election 2020

This year’s presidential battle between Joe Biden and Donald Trump will go down in history as one of the most monumental elections in the United States. The election comes at a time of great polarization and tension between the two sides, and the race is a close one. Amidst Trump’s rhetoric surrounding voter fraud, there has been skepticism around the polls and how many votes are actually legal. Stories of voters being intimidated or denied their right to vote at the polls have been circulating on social media, and more people are sharing their experiences.

I posted a Tweet asking people to share with me their experiences with voter intimidation or suppression, and I got a couple interesting responses. Patricia Resari, a New Jersey resident, stated that she had heard while she was in line to vote that her vote may not count since she was voting on the last day. “After that, I became anxious and nervous because I did not know whether that was the truth or not,” she states. Stories like this are important to take note of, because potential voters can be scared away from the polls after hearing things similar to what Resari did. Another voter, Emmanuel Lopez, shared that this was his very first voting experience. He stated that the line was much longer than expected, and he began to fall hungry and thirsty. “I just feel like they should emphasize more that we need to come prepared with snacks and things like that,” he states.

People on social media also shared what they saw throughout the voting process. One Twitter user shared an image of a civilian moving a ballot box.