Waukesha Times

As election officials continue to count votes in some states, one issue that was at the forefront for people was COVID-19. 

With over 9 million cases to date and setting a daily high, the U.S. is experiencing record-breaking figures in cases and deaths per day. 

With the pandemic reaching these unsettling heights, President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden have outlined contrasting plans about addressing the virus, Politco reported. 

Trump said in June that "we won't be closing the country again. We won't have to do that." These sentiments still hold today, as his administration does not intend on reinstituting lockdown measures for the recent COVID spikes. 

The Biden campaign disagreed with this approach, stating that "we cannot get the country moving until we control the virus. That is the fundamental flaw of this administration's thinking." Biden continued further, adding that "in order to keep the country running and moving- and the economy growing and people employed- you have to fix the virus." 

In addition to the presidential campaigns, many local community members voiced their perspectives on the pandemic and how local communities and governments should respond in turn. 

Tricia Mealins, a Catholic voter from Elm Grove, has seen the effects of COVID in her community. 

"A friend had to find another job because the restaurant she worked at closed. Another friend was laid off in March and won't be called back until next year," she said. 

Unemployment skyrocketed in response to government lockdowns earlier in the year, but many Americans are still currently out of work. 

For Mealins, reopening businesses and restaurants is of great importance to her- when asked if she would support a candidate that would continue instituting lockdowns, she replied with "Definitely not." 

With unemployment, COVID cases, and levels of COVID fatigue at staggering levels, this debate on how to address both the economy and the virus will likely weigh heavily on the minds of the voters heading into election day.