Pub. 60 2019-2020 Issue 5

8 I t seems this election cycle, more than those in the past, is filled with unanswered questions. How will elections be carried out amid concerns over COVID-19? Will states push for mail-in ballots? Will a replacement be confirmed for Jus- tice Ginsberg before the November elections? Who will win the U.S. Presidency? Will the Democrats keep the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives? Will the Republi- cans retain control of the U.S. Senate? Will Republicans keep their majori- ties in the Texas Legislature? These questions and more will hopefully be answered on Nov. 3. First, a couple of things that are shap- ing the 2020 elections and then some details regarding Congressional races and the Texas Legislature. What is Motivating Voters A recent poll completed by the Pew Research Center found stark differ- ences in how registered voters who support Donald Trump and Joe Biden view the importance of issues facing our country. In fact, of the 12 issues included, the only ones that showed a comparable level of support from both voter groups were foreign policy and Supreme Court appointments. The far-right number in the chart shows the overall percent of registered vot- ers who say the issue is important to their vote. The red and blue points to the left show the difference between Trump and Biden supporters on the specific issue. 2020 Election Rundown Elections 20 VOTE 20