President Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Joe Biden

230 million Americans are eligible to vote. Their votes will determine the 538 electors who will directly elect the new President on December 14. A candidate needs 270 electors’ votes to win.

Ensuring voters’ health during the coronavirus pandemic

To ensure voters’ health, the state of Iowa has set up special voting stations for COVID-19 infected people and for high-risk people. Voters are being asked to protect themselves and others by wearing masks and keep a safe distance. Last week Iowa authorities handed out 145,000 pairs of disposable gloves and 200,000 face masks to voters and poll workers.

The governor of Wisconsin said polling places in Wisconsin have adequate supplies to protect voters.

Across the country, Republicans have assured voters that voting in person is not risky, while Democrats have heavily promoted mail-in and early voting to reduce the risk of infection.

Global impact of the US election

The election result will affect the US’s relations with its allies and partners and the global political structure.

If Joe Biden wins, he promises to reaffirm the US’s commitment to democratic coalitions, multilateral cooperation, and rules-based world order. There are two possible scenarios of US global policy if Biden wins. In one scenario, the US would adopt an active leadership to mobilize allies and partners to take collective action. In a second scenario, the US would focus on domestic issues and leave its allies and partners to shape and resolve global issues.

If Trump is reelected, he will surely continue to pursue his “America First” policy of unilateralism, while re-calibrating the US’s relationship with Russia and cooperating with partners to contain China.

The election result is always clear on election day. But this year the coronavirus pandemic has led to a huge increase in mail-in ballots, which take longer to count, so it may take days or even weeks to have a final official result.