In 2018, the National Science Foundation provided funding to the University of Michigan to conduct face-to-face survey interviews with a nationally representative sample of American citizens both before and after the 2020 presidential election in the United States. When developing the original proposal for the study, it seemed inconceivable that face-to-face interviewing might not be possible during the period of the election. After all, the proposed study was the most recent in a time series of in-person surveys collected during presidential elections since 1948. But then in 2020, the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic arrived. States issued stay-at-home orders, required social distancing, and brought most in-person human subject research to a standstill. In light of these circumstances, we are moving quickly to develop a mixed-mode design for the 2020 ANES surveys that will facilitate rigorous data collection in a period of viral pandemic and public uncertainty.