US Election 2020: Senate Races
By Dr Aslam Abdullah
Fontana, CA
The elections in November will decide the fate of 35 senators, 23 Republicans and 12 Democrats. The GOP currently holds 53 seats, the Democrats 46, and two independents caucus with the Democrats.
Polls until the end of July suggest that the Republicans are sure to win ten races in Arkansas, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wyoming. They are likely to carry Alaska, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Texas, Georgia, and Kansas. Six of the currently Republican seats are toss-up: Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, Montana, and North Carolina, while Arizona is leaning towards Democrats.
Democrats are sure to carry Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Virginia, Michigan is leaning towards them and Alabama towards Republicans.
Political pundits have identified 18 battleground states. Of these 18 Democratic incumbents are defending five: Alabama, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and New Mexico. The Republican incumbents are defending their positions in Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Main, Montana, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas.
The states where Muslim voters are between one and two percent are: Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Texas. In a tightly contested race, the one or two percent margin would make a big difference. However, much depends on the voter turnout on election day. The mail-in voting will also make a significant impact on the races. At present, Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah, and Washington send all registered voters mail-in ballots. States, where voters can request for a mail-in vote without any excuse, are: Alaska, Arizona, California, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
States that require an excuse for mail-in vote are: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia.
A large section of elderly Muslims, especially those who do not speak English fluently, can use the mail-in provision, provided the political parties hire activists familiar with the languages voters speak to approach them. Muslim activists focus on voter registration, but it is equally essential that voters turn out on election day. It is what matters most in the electoral process.
(Dr Aslam Abdullah is resident scholar at islamicity.org . He is editor in chief of Muslim Observer and a trustee of American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin. He gives Friday sermons at Islamic centers in California and other states)
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