So how the heck did a centuries-old American institution end up at the center of the most heated political fight in Washington? It’s a little complicated, but POLITICO’s Zach Montellaro breaks down the mail-in ballot battle. Plus, Biden calls for a nationwide mask mandate. And early polls show voters like Harris as a VP candidate.

Zach Montellaro is a campaign reporter for POLITICO and author of the Morning Score newsletter.
Jeremy Siegel is a host for POLITICO Dispatch.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.

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