Is the end nigh for American democracy?

The outlook is grim given Republican anxieties and actions ahead of Nov 3 polls. Trump’s illness adds new complexities to the situation.

PHOTO: AFP
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Will America be able to hold an even halfway normal election next month, or have a normal democratic transition in January?

It was questionable even before the shock revelation last week about United States President Donald Trump's Covid-19 infection, and the reason for it is that the Nov 3 election's legitimacy and integrity were beclouded by an unprecedented combination of three disruptive influences: foreign interference; the novel logistical distortions of Covid-19; and an incumbent President who, unlike any of his predecessors, vowed not to recognise the legitimacy of any result that counted him the loser.

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