President Trump’s first term in office is coming to an end.  The 2020 Election is set to take place on Tuesday, November 3.  

This year’s democratic candidate is Joe Biden, with Kamala Harris as his running mate.  If they win office, Kamala Harris would be the first woman to serve a term as vice president.  Some visions Biden has for his presidency include improving women’s rights, protecting essential workers, have a humane immigration  system, provide two years of debt free community college, invest in clean energy, and provide LGBTQ equality along with many others.  To see more of Biden’s plans for his presidency you can visit his campaign website at  https://joebiden.com/joes-vision/.

President Trump and his vice president, Mike Pence, are running for their second term in office.  During his presidency Trump has introduced new policies affecting the LGBTQ+ community.  He has put more effort into increasing our defense budget.  He also signed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act.  He has provided tax cuts for larger corporations, imposed strict immigration laws, and helped win the  U.S.-Mexico-Canada’s bid for the 2026 World Cup. To see more of Trump’s ideas and beliefs you can visit his website at https://www.donaldjtrump.com/.

Due to COVID-19, most conventions and rallies relating to the upcoming election have been cancelled.  Despite this, on June 20, 2020 Trump held a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma in which only around 6,200 people showed up.  This sparked an uproar due to the fact that this rally directly went against the CDC’s health guidelines of wearing masks and social distancing

It is also expected for mail in ballots to increase due to the pandemic. This has become an issue due to President Trump opposing funding to the United States Postal Service.  This might cause mailed ballots to be late and therefore, not counted.  Officials encourage voters to pursue the early voting process or vote in person following safety regulations.  

The 2020 election is said to be vital for the survival of the country, in the midst of a social uproar, a worldwide pandemic, and a spike in natural disasters.  This election can change everything, it is of the utmost importance for everyone, who is eligible, to vote.  You can still do your part if you are underage by pre-registering to vote and stressing the importance of voting to your family and friends.  If you want to read more about the voting process please visit https://www.vote.org/.