USA's Presidential Race

November 3rd. 300 million Americans anxiously await the announcement that will change their lives indefinitely.

Digits trickle up and down the polls, an astonishing number of voters cast their final ballot, and the tense, volatile presidential campaigns near their end. After an arduous year of looming nuclear war, civil unrest, disturbance, and (the icing on the cake) the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States is in desperate need for stability. This November, the election provided a chance for the divided nation to restore their image of a global superpower.

Yet, one may ask themselves, why should we at the BSB care? 8000 miles away, the politics of this foreign land seems futile. However it’s not as irrelevant as some may think. As far back as Ancient Greece, the importance of democracy was recognised with the establishment of a legislative assembly. Continuing through the Middle ages until the Modern Era, the theory was meticulously developed to what we know today. Now, cemented into almost every society, democracy is considered vital for creating global prosperity, peace and security. The ‘Declaration of Human Rights’ proclaims voting to be a basic freedom, as was witnessed through the 2020 American presidential election. All citizens of legal age are provided the opportunity to exercise their privilege, promoting their own interests and voting for their preferred candidate. A decision which could make or break the next four years. The stakes were tremendously high...

After 4 long days of intense, round-the-clock news coverage, results were finally in. The delay was caused by Covid-19, which wracked the nation and quickly became a nuisance in tallying results. Worried for safety, twice as many voters turned to mail-in ballots rather than to voting in person - most of whom were Democrats. Each ballot needed to be individually removed from the envelope, verified and placed into a tabulating machine. The real trouble appeared when President Trump denounced Absentee voting and expressed his doubts in the US Postal Service. Anxiety was high for many Democrats, who had left the USPS in charge of delivering their ballots. The days after Election Day left many wondering whether their vote would be counted at all. Nonetheless, a record breaking 161 million Americans managed to fight to the polls, securing the victory of:

Joe Biden. An Ex-VP and Democrat finally rose triumphant, soon to be handed the reins by his opponent Donald Trump. Despite his record breaking results, the seas have not settled. The murmurings of a fraudulent election are beginning to bubble out of the White House. The Trump administration boasts claims of voter fraud due to the abundance of mail-in votes. Dozens of lawsuits have been filed by Republican senators across the country, further challenging the election results. Mr Trump himself proclaimed to bring the matter before the Supreme Court, demanding a recount. Each state has only till December 8th to resolve all contests and reach a conclusion. The clock is ticking.

But, what’s next? The newly elected 117th Congress will be sworn in during January, after which they will hold an assembly to officially count the electoral votes. This gives any member of Senate the right to object, usually a last hurrah for the party. If all goes smoothly, Biden will be inaugurated, commencing his role as the 46th President of the United States and self proclaimed healer of America. His agenda is packed with delivering the crucial promises that got him elected. He ensured undoing any malpractice at the borders, specifically with children. He further guaranteed to expand Obamacare, and rejoin a global climate accord albeit disagreeing with the Green New Deal. In addition to this, he rallied around criminal justice reform and raising the minimum wage. But most importantly, he vowed to diminish and combat threats posed by Coronavirus. The first 100 days are crucial; defining the legacy of a president. The challenges ahead will be formidable, but will he rise to the occasion?

Only time will tell.

“Somewhere inside of all of us, is the power to change the world - Roald Dahl”

Manaal Khan, 11B