With just days left until Election Day 2020, millions of Americans have already voted in a historic early voting turnout. But if you're waiting until Election Day to cast your vote and haven't decided who will get your vote, this is the guide for you.
To help highlight the issues that you care about most, Odyssey, in partnership with VoteSmart, asked creators and readers via a ranked-choice survey to rank the issues which they cared about most. We've highlighted the top three issues — civil rights, healthcare, and women's rights, based on creator and reader feedback — and used VoteSmart's database to present President Donald Trump and challenger former Vice President Joe Biden's record on the issues.
SEE ALSO: How To Write About The 2020 Election
The following information is based on the political records of both candidates throughout their careers in politics. Joe Biden served in the U.S. Senate from 1972 to 2008 and then as vice president from 2009–2017. Donald Trump has never served in a legislative body and has been president since 2017. Since many organizations issue rankings based solely on legislative votes, there are some issues on which Trump has no rankings.
Civil Rights
2020 has been a huge year in terms of civil rights. The country has experienced national Black Lives Matter protests, mail-in voting has broken records, and civil rights icons Elijah Cummings and John Lewis passed away in 2019 and 2020 respectively.
Here's a roundup of Trump and Biden's statements and rankings on key civil rights issues.
Donald Trump
View Trump's public statements on civil rights issues here.
View Trump's public statements on criminal justice issues here.
Trump ran for president in 2016 and has been president since 2017. View his ratings from civil rights organizations based on his time campaigning and in office below. Find links to each organization's profile on VoteSmart at the bottom of the page.
Joe Biden
View Biden's public statements on civil rights issues here.
View Biden's public statements on criminal justice issues here.
View Biden's ratings from civil rights organizations based mostly on his voting record in the Senate below. Find links to each organization's profile on VoteSmart at the bottom of the page.
Healthcare
This year, America has dealt with the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans, infected millions more, and has drastically impacted the country's hospitals and healthcare systems. At the same time, the Trump administration continues to argue in court that America's main healthcare law — The Affordable Care Act, also known as "Obamacare" — is unconstitutional and should be struck down.
Here's a roundup of Trump and Biden's statements and rankings on key healthcare and health insurance issues:
Donald Trump
View Trump's public statements on health and healthcare issues here.
View Trump's public statements on health insurance issues here.
VoteSmart does not have any records of healthcare or health insurance organizations rating Trump.
Joe Biden
View Biden's public statements on health and healthcare issues here.
View Biden's public statements on health insurance issues here.
View Biden's ratings from healthcare and health insurance organizations based mostly on his voting record in the Senate below. Find links to each organization's profile on VoteSmart at the bottom of the page.
Women's Rights
From the #MeToo movement to ongoing debates surrounding reproductive issues, women's rights have defined the 2020 election cycle. Both candidates for president have faced accusations of sexual harassment or assault. Biden's running mate, California Sen. Kamala Harris, would be the country's first-ever woman vice president and vice president of color if elected. 2020 saw the passing of feminist icon Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg — only the second woman ever to serve on the Supreme Court — and the nomination and confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett, the fifth woman ever to become a Supreme Court justice and who is in many ways Ginsburg's ideological opposite.
Here's a roundup of both Trump and Biden's views on women's rights:
Donald Trump
View Trump's public statements on women's rights and issues here.
View Trump's public statements on abortion and reproductive rights here and here.
Trump ran for president in 2016 and has been president since 2017. View his ratings from pro-life organizations based on his time campaigning and in office below. Find links to each organization's profile on VoteSmart at the bottom of the page.
Joe Biden
View Biden's public statements on women's rights and issues here.
View Biden's public statements on abortion and reproductive rights here and here.
View Biden's ratings from women's rights and reproductive rights organizations based mostly on his voting record in the Senate below. Find links to each organization's profile on VoteSmart at the bottom of the page.
Appendix
Follow the links below for VoteSmart's database of organizations and their ratings for each candidate on each topic:
Trump / Civil Rights
Liberty Guard 41% 2016
RAICES Action Fund 0% 2020
Biden / Civil Rights
American Civil Liberties Union 91% 2007-2008
Americans for Democratic Action 80% 2008
Common Cause 100% 2001
Drum Major Institute 0% 2009
Global Exchange 100% 2006-2012
Home School Legal Defense Association 20% 1997-1998
Human Rights Campaign 95% 2007-2008
Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights 89 2007-2008
League of United Latin American Citizens 100% 2003-2004
League of Women Voters 100% 2007
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) 100% 2005-2006
National LGBTQ Task Force 64% 1991-1992
National Organization for Women 100% 2007-2008
People for the American Way 85% 2001-2002
RAICES Action Fund 50% 2020
The Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans 100% 2005-2006
UnidosUS 100% 2005
Biden / Healthcare
National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare 100% 2001-2002
National Council of Senior Citizens 90% 2000
Partnership for America 0% 2005-2006
Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 100% 2008
AIDS United 100% 2007-2008
Academy of General Dentistry 100% 2008
Alliance For Headache Disorders Advocacy 0% 2007
American Academy of Emergency Medicine 0% 2003-2004
American Academy of Family Physicians 100% 2007
American College of Emergency Physicians 0% 2004
American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists 100% 2003
American Hospital Association 100% 2007-2008
American Medical Association PAC 100% 2001
American Nurses Association 100% 2005-2006
American Public Health Association 100% 2008
American Society for Radiation Oncology 100% 2008
American Society of Anesthesiologists 33% 2003
Association of University Centers on Disabilities 100% 2007
Citizens for Health 25% 2004
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance 0 2007
Global AIDS Alliance 80% 2003
League of Women Voters 100% 2007
National Association for Addiction Professionals (formerly National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors) 100% 2005-2006
National Association of Social Workers 100% 2008
National Breast Cancer Coalition 80% 2005-2006
National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association 93% 2005-2006
National Right to Life Committee 0% 2007-2008
Parkinsons Action Network 100% 2006
Pennsylvania State Nurses Association 100% 2002
Planned Parenthood Action Fund 100% 2008
Protect Patients Now! 0% 1995-2004
Smokefree Action 100% 1995-1996
St. Joseph Health System 100% 2007-2008
The American Counseling Association 100% 2008
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) 100% 2001
Trump / Women's Rights
Illinois Right to Life Action 100% 2020
Biden / Women's Rights
American Association of University Women 60% 2007-2008
American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists 100% 2003
Business and Professional Women USA 83% 2005-2006
Concerned Women for America 9% 2007-2008
Federally Employed Women 60% 2007-2008
League of Women Voters 100% 2007
NARAL Pro-Choice America 75% 2007
National Organization for Women 100% 2007-2008
National Women's Political Caucus 81% 1989-1990
The Woman Activist 60% 1995
Women's Action for New Directions (WAND) 66% 2005
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