#ElmhurstUVotes panel discusses the possibilities for Election Day

The #ElmhurstUVotes series continued on Nov 3, with an Election Day analysis led by Elmhurst faculty members and their views on what Americans can expect as Election Day coverage begins. 

Throughout the meeting, topics about liberal democracy and voter trust were amongst the dialogue, as well as how media coverage is going to impact the election. 

Mary Walsh, political science chair, began the discourse by prefacing the national climate surrounding the 2020 election and how little trust Americans have in the election process. 

“What this election really makes clear is how dangerous, and what a threat, declining political trust, and declining political civility is for liberal democracy,” said Walsh. “Liberal democracy requires that we all come together and lead to a consensus about our government, about our law, and about our policy.” 

One of the points of discussion brought up by Scott Braam, professor of political science, is that this election is favorable for former vice president Joe Biden. 

Braam noted Biden has an edge because people recognize the way Trump has handled the pandemic by gaslighting us and telling Americans that it’s all over, when it is far from the current reality being lived. In reality, 230,000 people in the United States have died because of COVID-19. 

“If you look at the polling on this, I think people trust Joe Biden a bit more than they trust Trump,”  Braam said, noting the longing the public has for trust in the government. 

Braam noted how on election night there is going to be a close call with the final results because of the 11 battleground states. 

The point leads between Biden and Trump are close with at least a three to four-point difference throughout the swing states. 

Braam noted that if the point difference was seven or eight points, this election would “for sure be a landslide,” for Biden, given his popularity amongst voters. 

For this year's election Eric Lutz, advisor to The Leader, anticipates that the media is going to be reporting on this for a few days in order to calculate all the votes, especially since there was such an influx of mail-in ballots and early voting. 

“There’s going to be a lot of patience required and a lot of uncertainty to bear,” Lutz said. “Those two things tend not to be the strong suit of our 21st-century media.” 

Timothy Hazen, assistant professor in political science, brought a global perspective to the discussion, noting how the American party system can take note from European elective models that follow more parliamentarian and multi-party models.

Hazen also noted 60% of Americans lack confidence in the American election process; when people comment on the polarization of Americans within the two-party system, he isn’t surprised. 

“You have a two-party system. At some point, these two parties are going to drift apart and the animosity is going to emerge.” Hazen said. 

This was the final event of the #ElmhurstUVotes series, but Jasmin Robinson, director of the office of diversity and inclusion, urged attendees to respectfully continue the conversation, post-election results, throughout the week in events hosted by the office of diversity and inclusion and the political science department. 

“Regardless of whatever the outcome is we are still a community,” Robinson said. “We are still in a space together where we must coexist and respect one another.”