Celebrity politicians have instant name recognition. But unless they trump competitors in fundraising, and hit other check boxes, they aren’t any more likely to win than traditional politicians.
What’s it like for an election law scholar to work at a polling place on Election Day? A law school professor sees how election laws work – or keep election workers guessing – at the ground level.
While TV political ads might seem old-fashioned in the age of social media, research shows that this kind of advertising does win votes – and could influence the upcoming midterms.
Voter demographics and policy priorities are two recurrent, big issues on Election Day – but shifts in election administration and voting laws are new challenges influencing the midterms.
‘I don’t like the candidates,’ ‘I don’t know enough to make a decision,’ ‘I don’t want to give this election legitimacy’ – an ethicist takes on nonvoters.
It’s Election Day, you go to vote – and you’re told you’re not registered or you’re not eligible to vote. A civil rights lawyer provides a guide so voters can know their rights to cast a ballot.
Election-related violence isn’t unheard of in the US. A scholar of gun laws explains how the threat is only increased by allowing people to carry firearms as they vote.
GOP candidates Kari Lake, Herschel Walker and Dr. Mehmet Oz have caught people’s attention for outlandish stunts and false statements that are increasingly accepted in politics.
Nearly two-thirds of all votes cast in the 2020 presidential election were made through early in-person voting or by mail, rather than by people who visited their local polling places on Election Day.
Most of the election-related lawsuits now before state courts focus on fine details of election procedures. This can be a costly, time-consuming process for state courts.
Supporters and volunteers love them. But it’s difficult for political scientists to determine whether they even influence the outcome of elections, since no two campaigns or election cycles are alike.
Jan Leighley, American University School of Public Affairs
Americans’ political affiliations and views on key issues vary a lot by age. When fewer young people vote, winning candidates and policies may not reflect their views.
What happens if the public loses faith in fair elections? That’s the question being asked as candidates influenced by Donald Trump aim to become the chief election officials in their states.
Managing Director of the McCourtney Institute of Democracy, Associate Research Professor, Political Science, Co-host of Democracy Works Podcast, Penn State