These Are the Issues You Probably Missed While Focusing on US Presidential Election

By Madelaine D. Nov 06 2020, 22:13 PM EST

While everyone is waiting for the United States presidential election's final results, some crucial issues have been set aside.

These Are the Issues You Probably Missed While Focusing on US Presidential Election — Protests Continue In Washington, DC As Presidential Contest Remains Undecided WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 06: People gather during a demonstration organized by Refuse Fascism, at McPherson Square near the White House on November 6, 2020 in Washington, DC. With many critical battleground states still not announcing the results of their vote count, the presidential election is still too close to call. Al Drago/Getty Images

Let's take a look at these issues such as the down-ballot votes that passed some police reform measures and laws legalizing drugs and marijuana, and the U.S. officially pulling out from the Paris Agreement.

Here are the five critical matters that happened recently, according to Poynter:

The U.S. left the Paris Agreement

November 4 is not just the end of the election day, but it was also the day that the U.S. formally withdraw from the Paris Agreement, as per Oregon Live.

In the next few days, it will be determined if the U.S. would still be part of a global effort of controlling climate change.

Poynter reported that U.S. could re-join in the agreement that former President Barack Obama signed five years ago if Joe Biden wins the election and choose to do so.

In 2017, President Donald Trump said the U.S. would pull out from the agreement signed by 189 nations. The Paris deal, drafted in 2015, aims to keep the rise of average global temperature "well below" 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

There were reports that some regions have already surpassed 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, according to a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) report.

The Paris Agreement replaced the 1997 Kyoto Protocol that addressed 37 nations and required them to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Almost all countries' responsibility was expanded by the Paris Agreement, considering how much these countries contribute to climate change. However, the Paris Agreement does not have enforcement wrapped into it, and only parts of it were legally bound.

The pandemic is growing

One of the issues that many have set aside amid the U.S. presidential election is the growing number of COVID-19 cases.

Even with 21 states setting new records, the pandemic wasn't the no. 1 issue on the voters' minds. Exit polls showed that only one in six voters cited the pandemic as the most crucial matter to their vote.

Meanwhile, one-third of voters named the economy as the most critical issue, and one out of five people cited racial equality.

The John Hopkins latest seven-day average of daily new coronavirus cases is 20 percent higher than last week's levels.

According to The Associated Press, Iowa, Indiana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Missouri, North Dakota, and New Mexico reported high hospitalizations this week.

Stimulus chances after the election

Everyone is asking if there is any chance a stimulus bill could emerge soon. For any progress on a stimulus bill, this week is hopeless.

Poynter said if Republicans hold the Senate majority, it will kill the possibilities for a reconciliation bill that only needs a simple majority to pass and this may happen when a new Congress is sworn in January.

On the other hand, there will likely have a bipartisan stimulus bill that is some version of the House Democrats' proposal it tried to offer with the White House early summer.

Marijuana enthusiasts had a fair election night

New Jersey, Montana, South Dakota, and Arizona voted to legalize and tax recreational marijuana. In South Dakota, the vote was close in but was blow out in other states. This means that it will be legal to recreationally smoke marijuana in 15 states and the District of Columbia, according to VICE.

Two-thirds of Americans told Pew pollsters that they support legalizing marijuana. It was also reported that some states passed pro-pot measures that played the approval as a tax generator. Supporters in New Jersey noted that it would help the police force to focus on other important issues.

Police reform was on the ballot around the country

Governing.com, a website focused on local and state government leaders, tracked the many police reform proposals on ballots nationwide. The proposal includes Philadelphia approving the creation of a Citizens Police Oversight Commission with 75 percent voting in favor of the measure.

With 85 percent of the votes, Pittsburgh has passed amending the city charter to ask police officers to cooperate with the investigations by the Independent Citizen Police Review Board.