A Battle of the Bases

This chapter focuses on the general election campaign, discussing how political polarization induced party efforts to activate their bases, rather than convince voters to switch teams. We describe how state legislators manipulated electoral rules to shape the composition of the electorate to advantage the controlling party, recognizing that even a modest change in the turnout numbers for either party could tip the balance toward one candidate or another. We look at the ways that party elites registered and mobilized rank-and-file partisans, overcoming the challenges imposed by the nationwide pandemic. And we discuss how the candidates raised the stakes of the election during their campaign, especially during the presidential debates, to inspire their supporters to participate.