Hi, I'm Dan Pramak and welcome to Axios Recap, sponsored by What It Takes.

Today's Friday, July 31st, Bitcoin prices are up, gasoline prices are down, and we're focused

on difficulties of voting within a pandemic.

We obviously don't know who's going to win this year's presidential election, but we

do know that the process will be more complicated than in any past election of our lifetimes,

with the final result possibly not known for weeks.

Voting, just like going to school or work or shopping, can't be done the way we've always

done it before.

For starters, some stalwart voters simply won't risk going to an in-person polling location.

That means a lot more mail-in votes, thus putting added pressure not only on the U.S. Postal

Service, but also on states to distribute, verify, and count those ballots in a timely manner.

That fear that some have of being in crowded spaces could also depress the number of available poll workers,

many of whom traditionally are retired seniors.

If states and counties can't find enough volunteers, that could mean fewer polling

locations and longer lines, thus making it harder for people to cast their ballots. And that

doesn't even begin to address all of the safety logistics, like social distancing and wiping

down voting machines or getting PPE for poll workers. Even if all of that does go okay, there's an elevated chance that the loser, or at least the loser's supporters, will claim foul play.

It's a sort of thing that can destabilize society and the economy, and it could intensify if and when final results take days or weeks to determine in key states.

There is arguably no state, more key to presidential elections than Ohio, which has picked

the winner in each of the past 14 elections. We'll talk to Ohio Secretary of State, Frank LaRose,

right after this. We're joined now by Frank LaRose, right after this.

We're joined now by Frank LaRose, Secretary of State for Ohio.

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