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Political Analysts Weigh-In On August 2020 Primary

(CBS DETROIT) - A lot is at stake in the 2020 August primary.

 "If you live in Detroit which has been turned into a slaughterhouse for coronavirus, you want to know if the schools are going to be safe for your children? Is the community going to be safe for you," said Sam Riddle, political analyst, 910 AM radio host.

Local political analysts say the top issues surrounding the election is the Covid-19 crisis and police and community-relations.

"The election is especially noteworthy because it's unfolding in the midst of a really set of historic events that proceeded it. Obviously the pandemic being first and foremost but also the nation-wide and world-wide demonstrations that have unfolded in the aftermath in the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis surrounding issues of racial equality," said University Of Michigan, Political Science Prof. Vincent Hutchings.

Those issues are putting a target on key races on the ticket like county prosecutor, congress and the house of representatives.

"Those state legislators that are going to be elected, along with the governor of the various states will decide how the political jurisdictions are going to be carved up in those states, that's critically important as implications for congress, the composition for congress, the representation at state level, etc.," said Hutchings.

Due to the coronavirus, clerks across Michigan mailed out ballots in record numbers, leaving many concerned about the influx and how it will affect the count election night.

"Can the city clerk, can the folks at the county and state level handle all of the mail-in ballots? They've never done it before. And there are those that say if anything can be screwed up it's the counting and processing of more mail-in ballots than the state of Michigan and the city of Detroit have ever seen before in a primary election," said Riddle.

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