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The Real Story: How democratic are American elections?

Factual

How democratic are American elections?

14/08/2020 GMT

BBC World Service - The Real Story, How democratic are American elections?

Can voters have faith in a system tested by the pandemic and polarised politics?

The US presidential election campaign is gathering steam, with the Democratic Party convention beginning next week. November's election in the United States will be taking place at a time when the country is going through unprecedented social and economic upheavals. The incumbent Donald Trump is pitted against the former vice president Joe Biden. It is not just the presidency that's at stake, voters will be electing a third of the senate, an entirely new house of representatives, and thirteen governors. More than 160,000 Americans have lost their lives to the Covid-19 pandemic. The economy is in recession. Thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets demanding social justice. With the uncertainty of the coronavirus, there is no clear consensus on the way polling stations can ensure the safety of voters. While mass postal voting is being held up as a solution, many - including President Trump - argue that mail-in ballots will increase fraud and cause unnecessary delays. Others say various forms of voter suppression are already undermining the integrity of the vote. So as the first major election in the middle of a pandemic, how credible will the results in November be? How are allegations of voter suppression being addressed? And what will the candidates do if vote counting becomes a drawn out process? Ritula Shah and a panel of expert guests discuss whether American democracy is fit to handle the events the country finds itself in.

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