It comes as no surprise to many Americans that the 2020 election is going to be a fiercely competitive one. With a strong foundation of base support, President Trump is running off against former Vice President and democrat, Joe Biden. However, as fears of the coronavirus continue to surmount, President Trump has called for a delay in the election.

President Trump has expressed concern that a mail-in ballot election will give rise to voter fraud. In a tweet he proclaimed: “With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history. It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???”. Research on the subject has proven that mail-in ballots do not generate greater levels of voter fraud, thus rendering these concerns unfounded. Nonetheless, the President remains concerned about the integrity of the election and the safety of Americans.

There are no constitutional grounds for the President calling to delay the election, and even members of the Republican Party have pushed back against President Trump’s proposal. In a statement from Representative Paul Mitchell, he tweeted “I am dropping off my primary election ballot today. I feel safe and secure in doing so. @realDonaldTrump – no reason to mess with our election date. States must ensure procedures to monitor accuracy with federal oversight.” This reflects the notion that mail-in ballots are both a safer alternative to in-person voting and should not be seen as a source of fraud. Mitch McConnell echoed this sentiment in a statement noting that “never in the history of the Congress, through wars, depressions and the Civil War have we ever not had a federally scheduled election on time, and we’ll find a way to do that again this Nov. 3.”

Due to the complex legality, lack of support, and constitutional precedents set, it is highly unlikely that election day will be postponed. Though this serves as a reminder to individuals planning to vote that if they choose to vote by mail they must be meticulous when it comes to following instructions. The safeguards in place that prevent election fraud can also throw out mail-in ballots if they are not completed properly. Therefore, it is of immense importance to follow directions and fill-out the forms the correct way. The 2020 election is set to be a close one, so every vote counts.