The 2020 General Election Vote in a Divided American Electorate

The 2020 general election took place amid a highly polarized American electorate during a global pandemic. Donald Trump’s presidency contained little bridge-building. The incivility on social media perpetuated by candidate Trump during the preprimary season in 2015 foreshadowed his presidential Twitter activity. The general election showcased the partisan tensions that had been building. Ultimately, the election was won by Democrat and former Vice President Joe Biden in an Electoral College victory of 306 pledged votes to 232. The victory, however, was not won overnight with congratulations from the opposition. Several swing states were in contention, and the mainstream media outlets did not call Biden as the winner until four days after Election Day. As the 2020 year came to a close, Trump had not conceded his loss but rather claimed election fraud despite lack of evidence to support his contention. This chapter examines key factors that helped Biden win....