At a time when many of life’s rituals have been turned inside out, literally when it comes to things like restaurant dining, voting in America is likely to change too.

“I think everything’s very different than what we’ve had in the past and I don’t think this election is going to be any different and I think there’s a lot riding on this election,” said one Colorado voter recently.

As Wisconsin residents experienced first-hand in April, voting in person is risky during a pandemic.

“When you have a virus that really is a danger to people congregating, to people standing in line, vote by mail is a very good alternative,” said Seth Masket, a University of Denver political expert.

Five U.S. states, including Colorado, relied exclusively on vote by mail before the coronavirus impacted the nation.

“I like to say we’ve been social distancing before it was cool,” said Paul Lopez, Denver’s Clerk and Recorder.

Since 2013, ballots have automatically been sent to all Colorado registered voters at least three weeks before each election. They fill them out and mail them back or drop them in special collection bins. In-person voting still remains an option. Proponents say it couldn’t be easier.

“Because it puts the voter at the center of the decision making,” said Hillary Hall with the National Vote at Home Institute, a nonprofit which works to promote this voting method. “You know we’re not a one-day, one-time voting state and most people don’t live that way anymore.”

Many other states have come to see the value of absentee voting. All but six now offer it to anyone who wants to vote this way. But in this very partisan time, voting by mail has come under attack from President Trump who argues that it’s ripe for fraud, that Democrats want to use it to rig the election.

“Will they be stolen from mailboxes as they get put in by the mailmen?” Trump asked supporters during a political rally earlier this year. “Will they be taken from the mailmen and mailwomen? Will they be forged?”

Trump’s critics charge that he wants to use the U.S. Postal Service to slow down the processing of mail ballots, thereby undermining confidence in the election.

“Frankly this is an unprecedented attack on our democracy and our voting system,” said Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO).

“The military has been doing it for generations,” said Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO). “Works for our servicemen and women, works in Colorado. There’s no evidence of widespread fraud, it’s just not true.”

Hall said recent elections here have been virtually glitch-free and that turnout has been strong.

“To create fear over a process that has safeguards in it, as many safeguards as voting in person does, is a disservice to voters,” she said. “We need to give them all the options and let the voter decide.”

She said research shows mail-in ballots favor neither political party. They will take some time to count which means final results may not be known on election night.

“If a lot of Democrats end up voting by mail and a lot of Republicans don’t, you may see early Republican advantages that are erased as more Democratic ballots are tabulated,” Masket said.

Which could create new tensions in this already stressful election year.