The second wave of the covid-19 virus is no doubt more dangerous than the first one. With cases increasing with a large magnitude, 2021 seems to be no different than 2020. Last year, during the same time, people thought that everything would go back to normal in a year, but it turned out that the virus had different plans. Out of the many things that are getting affected by this, elections, not just domestic but also International, have also come to a sudden halt. With the isolation of political leaders, death of Important political figures, and postponement of certain political activities that govern countries worldwide, covid-19 has certainly affected politics in a very influential way.
But apart from politicians suffering and legislative activities getting suspended, the elections are also affected because of certain other reasons. Some of these are mentioned below:
The fear of infection among the voters
If elections are held, then it is likely that people, especially the elderly and those who are more prone to getting infected, will not vote. As a result, only selective people will be voting based upon favouritism, and their vote may lead to the power going into the wrong hands. This, in the long term, will not be a good decision for any democratic country. It is said that democracy is the government for the people and by the people, but if the public itself is not benefited from it, it is of no use. Therefore, it would be better not to conduct elections if the majority of the population cannot participate in them.
The elections of France in 2020
For example, the French local elections held during 2020 to elect the mayors turned out to be a huge disaster. This was because only about 63.5% of eligible voters participated in them. It ultimately led to a significant increase in coronavirus cases and related deaths.
The case of USA elections in 2020
Another great example is that of the United States of America. In 2020, after a long series of virtual rallies, dismissed conventions, rescheduling of debates, etc. when the elections were finally held, and ballots and public votes were sent by the medium of the post, no one else other than one of the most powerful candidates, Mr Donald Trump got tested positive for covid-19. It is depressing and, at the same time, a kind of eye-opener for the current Indian government to not make the same mistake. Not just that, after the elections in the US, the condition of the general public of the United States got so worse that it ended up becoming the second most affected country due to covid-19 last year.
The bottom line
All in all, since elections are one of the most important activities to take place in a democracy, therefore the participation of most of the public plays an extremely important role in the formation of the government. And that is why even if the elections are held anytime soon, they would not be fair or justified in any manner. Hence, covid-19 has no doubt impacted the elections and democracies in a highly negative way.
