United States President-elect Joe Biden. Photo / AP
Much was made in November's United States election of the record turnout of voters keen to have their say.
About 67 per cent of eligible voters, more than 158 million people, participated - the best US turnout in more than a century.
With the US desperate for a feel-good shard of light, the fact that voters braved the pandemic in massive numbers seemed to provide it.
The country has 4 per cent of the world's population and 23 per cent of its coronavirus cases - 17.8 million in total and 317,670 deaths.
Voting time and options were expanded because of Covid-19 and people responded.
Yet as NPR reports, a quarter of potential voters didn't bother.
The president is chosen by the Electoral College, but the popular vote tells an important story.
Republicans rarely lose runoff races, because Democrats are less likely to turn out in non-presidential elections than Republicans https://t.co/Wxa1iNa25d
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) December 21, 2020
President-elect Joe Biden, with his 81.2 million supporters, only narrowly edged out the 80 million Americans of the 239.2 million eligible to cast a ballot who decided not to vote.
Further back was President Donald Trump with 74.2 million votes, according to the Cook Political Report popular vote tracker.
An Ipsos poll for NPR on non-voters found that among reasons cited for staying away were: 29 per cent said they were not registered to vote; 23 per cent said they were not interested in politics; 20 per cent did not like the candidates and 16 per cent believed their vote would not make a difference.
In the 2016 presidential election 40 per cent of eligible voters plugged out. A Pew Research Centre study of that election and the Ipsos survey found similar findings.
NPR: "They are disengaged, disaffected and don't believe politics can make a difference in their lives. They are also more likely to be Latino, younger, make less money and have lower levels of education than voters."
Pew: "Compared with validated voters, non-voters were more likely to be younger, less educated, less affluent and non-white. And non-voters were much more Democratic ... Owing in part to the tendency of non-voters to be politically disengaged more generally, [a lot] fall into the 'mixed' category on the ideological consistency scale."
Biden’s organizing principle seems to be a Barack Obama–inspired 'no drama' insistence on minimizing the potential for conflict in his administration, writes @gdebenedetti https://t.co/mZf2DTmiFb
— New York Magazine (@NYMag) December 21, 2020
Essentially, they would be highly represented among the groups who have suffered the most during the pandemic in the US - the poor, and non-whites. Apart from the health impacts, many have lost their jobs or small businesses. They have had to seek food help or have been drowning in debt.
At the same time the wealthiest Americans have hauled in billions this year.
The battle that has played out in Congress over getting extra money to people who desperately need it has encapsulated America's political and social problems.
A US$900 billion ($1.3 trillion) long overdue aid package was expected to be voted on after a deal was sealed yesterday. It is tied to a separate US$1.4t government-wide funding plan. It would need to pass Congress and Trump's pen.
The Covid relief would set up temporary US$300 ($420) weekly supplemental jobless benefits and US$600 ($840) direct stimulus payments to most Americans.
Businesses would get subsidies and funds would go to schools, healthcare providers, and people facing eviction from their homes because they can't pay rent.
Horses that reportedly got traded today: Repubs demanded tax break for corporate meal expenses ("three martini lunches"). Dems agreed, in exchange for expanded tax credits for low income families & working poor
— Catherine Rampell (@crampell) December 21, 2020
Pretty much sums up the parties' prioritieshttps://t.co/pmDer0xbNb
In March and April Congress passed an unprecedented amount of economic aid amounting to US$3t. The need to do something more has been talked over in Congress for months.
Getting money out now, as the rollouts for two vaccines are underway, would help to keep people and hope afloat in the dark winter months. It would be a far better result than holding out for a bigger deal later. Combined, the doses and cash would be two shots in the arm for the US.
Still, for many, including the top congressional Democrats, it is not enough and if approved would have to be followed up once Biden is inaugurated.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said: "It is a first step. We have to do more." Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said: "Anyone who thinks this bill is enough does not know what's going on in America."
Biden stressed the bipartisan action, which he called "just the beginning". He added: "This is a model for the challenging work ahead for our nation".
US energy: ‘the more ambitious Biden tries to be, the more likely he is to fail’ https://t.co/7e7Pla1O0n
— Financial Times (@FinancialTimes) December 21, 2020
The proposed new relief aid in the form of direct payments has been halved from what people received in March under the US$1.8b CARES Act. The Democrats pushed for a US$2t package before the election without success.
The amount of leverage Republicans have been able to wield, considering the party lost the presidency, does not bode well for Biden's programme next year. The Democrats would need to win two Senate races in Georgia to gain control of the chamber with the vice-president's casting vote.
Politics has got in the way of obvious priorities for months.
Having grasped the need for direct economic support early on, the purse strings have tightened - even as the US trudges through its worst days of the pandemic.
No wonder millions of people are unimpressed with politicians in Washington.
The jury deliberated for 21 hours before delivering the verdict.