Featured Post from Cedarville University

Heading to the Ballot Box

Oct 23, 2024

2 min

Mark Caleb Smith, Ph.D.

The impending U.S. presidential election is already breaking records.


Voters are beginning to cast their ballots as early as 45 days before Election Day. Voting early by in-person or mail-in absentee ballot is typically a popular choice amongst Democrat voters, but this election season has seen an uptick in Republican voters choosing to cast their ballot before November 5. This has led to record numbers of early turnout in vital swing states such as Georgia and North Carolina. Will these increased numbers impact the election and voter turnout overall?



Political expert, Dr. Mark Caleb Smith, pointed out the anxiety that this election is causing Americans and how that may affect voting. Here are three key takeaways from his recent interview:


  • Both the Republican and Democrat political parties speak about the upcoming election in terms of fear, claiming drastic consequences if the other party wins the presidential office. Has this heightened anxiety pushed more Americans to cast their ballot early?
  • Smith points out that many voters feel immense pressure as they prepare to choose a candidate. As Americans worry about the perceived high stakes of this election, will the U.S. see an increase not only in early voting but in voting overall?
  • As nearly 19 million Americans head to the polls early, will their ballots be affected by this highly-charged election season and increased threat of misinformation spread on social media?


If you are a journalist covering this election season, our experts are here to help with all of your questions and stories.


Dr. Mark Caleb Smith is the Director of the Center for Political Studies at Cedarville University. Mark is available to speak with the media regarding election emotions, the upcoming election, and the aftermath. Simply click on his icon or email mweinstein@cedarville.edu to arrange an interview.



Connect with:
Mark Caleb Smith, Ph.D.

Mark Caleb Smith, Ph.D.

Professor of Political Science

Dr. Smith is an expert in American politics, campaigns & elections, and constitutional law.

Constitutional LawPresidential PoliticsPresidential Campaigns

You might also like...

Check out some other posts from Cedarville University

1 min

Falling Flat: The Consumer Price Index

Following a surprising jobs report, inflation didn't ease as much as anticipated. The Consumer Price Index fell to 2.4% year over year last month. Although this was not the desired number, inflation is still declining towards the Fed's target of 2%. What do these numbers mean for the upcoming election and future of the U.S. economy?  Dr. Jeff Haymond, economic expert and dean of the Robert W. Plaster School of Business at Cedarville University, has provided insight on recent U.S. economy updates in a recent interview: The consumer price index was higher than expected in September, but the recent interest rate cut and a hopeful jobs report still provide some good news for the economy. Will inflation continue to ease in the right direction? Experts, such as Haymond, acknowledge that the recent interest rate cut by the Fed was a political move. The cost of living is a crucial issue for U.S. voters as they prepare for the election and hope for eased inflation. How will this and other economic updates affect the decisions of voters as the elections draws near?  If you are covering the U.S. economy and need to know more, let us help with your questions and stories. Dr. Jeff Haymond is an expert on this subject and is available to speak to media regarding the U.S. economy and what recent news means for families in the United States – simply click on his icon or email mweinstein@cedarville.edu to arrange an interview.

2 min

Surprising Jobs Report: What It Means for the U.S. Economy

In news that far surpassed expectations, the U.S. added 254,000 jobs in September. The unemployement rate is also heading in the right direction with a slight dip this past month, resulting in a rate of 4.1%. This update comes after an agressive rate cut by the Federal Reserve. Economic expert, Jared Pincin, has pointed out the motivation behind the rate cut and the possible outcomes. Here are some key points and connections to the September job report from an article he was recently featured in: The rate cut was a signal that the Federal Reserve is now prioritizing the job market rather than inflation and it could be a sign that the ecomony is slowing. However, after the latest job report that blew expectations out of the water, could the ecomony be headed in a better direction? After this job report that added almost double the jobs projected, will the Federal Reserve continue to focus on employment rather than inflation? The Federal Reserve will meet again in November to discuss rate cuts. Will this strong jobs report give them flexibility as they gather to make decisons right after the U.S. election? If you are covering the recent jobs report or the U.S. economy and need to know more, let us help with your questions and stories. Dr. Jared Pincin is an expert on this subject and is available to speak to media regarding the job market and what this means for families in the United States – simply click on his icon or email mweinstein@cedarville.edu to arrange an interview.

2 min

Criminal Charges and Springfield Ohio

More criminal charges have been filed against former President Donald Trump. A Haitian nonprofit group filed criminal charges against Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, and his running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, regarding statements they recently made about immigration in Springfield, Ohio. They are being accused of villifying the Haitian community with their claims that immigrants are eating cats and dogs in the Springfield area.  Dr. Glen Duerr, political expert at Cedarville University, stated in a recent interview that rumors like these provide a way for politicians to keep a hot issue like immigration alive. Here are some key points from his interview: Trump and Vance have made various claims about the recent events in Springfield. However, are there grounds to proscecute them in a trial? The rumors circulating Springfield have made it a microcosm of the large-scale immigration conversation. Will anything change in Springfield moving forward? Trump has mentioned that he will visit Springfield in the near future. However, Springfield hads recently responded to multiple bomb threats that have resulted in universities going fully remote and evacuations of city buildings and public schools. Would his presence only fan the flames of the immigration uproar?  If you are a journalist looking to cover immigration and news coming out of Springfield, look to our experts for help.  Dr. Glen Duerr's research interests include comparative politics and international relations theory. Glen is an expert on this subject and is available to speak to media regarding this topic– simply click on his icon to arrange an interview or email mweinstein@cedarville.edu.

View all posts
Powered by