Lindsay Maizland

Backgrounder published on CFR.org. September 2020.

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted hundreds of elections scheduled in 2020. While more than sixty countries postponed voting, dozens of others, including Burundi, France, and South Korea, went forward with their elections.

These countries took various steps to reduce the risk of voters and election officials contracting the new coronavirus disease, COVID-19. But planning elections, which usually require extensive person-to-person contact, during a historic health crisis is challenging. Officials worldwide have struggled with securing enough funding to implement safety precautions, expanding mail-in voting, and communicating changes with the public, among other obstacles. Some countries suffered low voter turnout, causing citizens to question the elections’ legitimacy, while others saw high turnout and few coronavirus cases linked to voting. The United States is facing similar challenges as it prepares to hold its presidential election on November 3.

Have elections sparked coronavirus outbreaks?

It’s hard to say, given the number of factors involved. A few countries did see increased numbers of COVID-19 cases in the weeks after their elections, though other actions, such as broader reopenings and easing of restrictions, could have been responsible, experts say. Belarus experienced widespread protests following its election, which could have contributed to an increase in cases. And Serbia, which also saw post-election protests, was accused of underreporting COVID-19 cases ahead of its elections.

On the other hand, South Korea, which international health experts have praised for its extensive precautions at polling places, reported no new cases related to its April election. The election was held amid a declining caseload and with nationwide coronavirus restrictions still in place. Similarly, a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report found that there was no spike in cases in Milwaukee following Wisconsin’s primary election in April. 

Nonetheless, experts say elections held so far have shown that the risk of transmission in polling places decreases if officials enforce social distancing, require mask wearing, increase ventilation, and sanitize surfaces, among other measures. In addition, “just providing different remote options on how to vote can also help minimize conglomerations and the risk of person-to-person transmission,” says Fernanda Buril, a senior researcher at the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES).

What health and safety steps have countries taken?

A number of countries have demonstrated that safe in-person voting is possible. Governments and electoral management bodies have taken many of the following precautions:

Requiring masks. Many countries required voters to wear masks, according to research by IFES [PDF], since wearing masks has been shown to significantly decrease the chance of infection.

Checking temperatures. In South Korea, nearly thirty million people—66 percent of eligible voters, the country’s highest voter turnout since 1992—cast ballots in April. Everyone had their temperatures checked and were provided hand sanitizer before voting. Those with a fever were allowed to vote in separate areas.

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