COVID-19 Pandemic Causes Political Campaigns To Adapt As President Trump Resumes In-Person Rallies
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Marylanders saw firsthand this year how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the primary, and how the election was administered.
Experts said voters are starting to now see how the President Donald Trump and Joe Biden are shaping their campaigns amid the pandemic.
Supporters are already starting to camp outside the Tulsa Arena where President Trump is expected to hold a rally Saturday.
Despite public health recommendations, some said they will not be wearing a mask.
"They can do what they want, but really at the end of the day, if you're sick, you don't need to be at the Trump rally," Tiffany Nixon, a President Trump supporter, said.
To get tickets, the campaign asked supporters to sign a liability waiver.
Presumed Democratic nominee, Joe Biden, has no rallies scheduled. He criticized the president for resuming in-person rallies.
"[He's] going to have a rally and he doesn't wear mask, I mean, come on," Biden said.
Loyola University political science professor Doug Harris said states will need help from the federal government to administer elections.
"More voting machines, shorter lines," Harris said.
Maryland's primary was plagued by those challenges and ballot issues. State lawmakers Tuesday urged the Board of Elections to fix those problems.
In local races, candidates held virtual debates.
Harris said it's too early to tell how presidential debates would work, but to expect down-ballot races to go digital.
"For governors races and senate races where the candidates are looking for more exposure," he said.
As was the case in Maryland, the public should brace for November's election results to take a while.
"It needs to be free. It needs to be fair, and just as importantly, it needs to be safe," Harris said.
