A bit of good news has brightened the last week as state parks and small businesses reopen with new guidelines. Though things are nowhere near being back to normal, these are the first signs that we are getting there. 

Sixteen states have postponed their primaries, according to The New York Times. Even though the primary election has become less important since Bernie Sanders dropped out and left Joe Biden as the only Democratic nominee, states are still figuring out how to let people vote. 

New York is having a struggle similar to the one Wisconsin had a few months back. They canceled the primary, which was previously postponed, but a federal judge ordered the election to go forward in June, according to The Times.

Given the amount of time New York has to get absentee ballots out, I have some optimism for the results of their election. However, allowing people to go out to the polls during this pandemic will always be a risk. 

There is so much back and forth happening in the government right now, it can be hard to pick out what is important. Here are a few recent events that could play into how November turns out. 

Biden raised more than $60 million in April, according to The Times. Many Democrats were worried about Biden’s ability to raise funds, but this massive success should be enough to reassure people. 

President Donald Trump raised $61.7 million in April. That is on top of the $255 million Republicans had been raising over the past 3 years Trump has been in office, according to The New York Times. 

Although Trump has the advantage when it comes to money, he is losing support from his most consistent demographic. 

Older voters have been the backbone for the Republican party for many years now, but they are also the most vulnerable as we go through this pandemic. 

“The campaign’s internal polls … show Mr. Trump’s support among voters over the age of 65 softening to a concerning degree,” According to The Times. “As he pushes to reopen the country’s economy at the expense of stopping a virus that puts them at the greatest risk.”

This crisis has had its ups and downs for the current president. 

First, he called himself the “wartime president” and people looked to him for confidence that we would overcome the pandemic. Now, after being regularly proven wrong by scientists and medical professionals, his support has faded.

Looking back to before Sanders stepped out of the race, it was thought this pandemic could be his chance to win (what is better for a pandemic than Medicare for All?). 

Though it didn’t work out for Sanders, maybe they were on to something and this pandemic will lead to heightened support for the Democratic party no matter who the candidate is. 

Kuchta can be reached at [email protected].