By: Quinn Kroon
As the 2024 Presidential Election approaches its November 5 maturity date, hundreds of political ads are appearing on billboards, television screens, and below social media posts on every platform.
According to OpenSecrets, an independent non-profit reporting group that tracks the flow of money within the American federal government, the upcoming election has produced nearly 16 billion dollars in spending, with the current presidential race accounting for more than 5.5 billion. This makes the 2024 election cycle the second most expensive since 1998 (the first being 2020 after being adjusted for inflation).
As these ads continue to roll on, the fact remains that most students attending UWGB are eligible to vote in their first presidential election this November. As the race tightens up, ads play every commercial break, and public opinions fly, it raises the question of how this time affects college students and what they can do to prepare for the election.
Fusion Chart comparing Congressional Races and the Presidential Race (Credit: Quinn Kroon)
To gain some insight into what UWGB students may be facing as they approach the 2024 presidential election, the Fourth Estate reached out to University of Wisconsin – Green Bay’s professor Katia Levintova (chair of the Political Science Department, a Democracy and Justice internship coordinator, and the co-director of the UWGB Center for Civic Engagement) and Prof. Aaron Weinschenk (Ben J. and Joyce Rosenberg Professor of Political Science; Director of Social Sciences & Public Policy Domain in the College of Arts Humanities & Social Sciences).
In an interview with Professor Levintova, who teaches classes primarily aimed at political behavior, she was asked whether the current landscape of American politics is affecting students’ mental health. “I would say among students who do vote and plan on voting for the first time, the supercharged rhetoric around elections is stressful,” said Lavintova. “One cannot escape negative and attack ads. Political science students have been paying much attention to upcoming elections and participating in canvassing and other campaign work. So for them, even an extra workload might add more stress to their daily lives.”
Following this interview, Levintova suggested contacting Professor Aaron Weinschenk, who teaches larger sections of the American government courses within the UWGB political science degree. When asked the same question about student mental health heading into the 2024 election cycle, Weinschenk said, “…one’s first election ever can be overwhelming. For example, registering to vote can be something that makes people anxious. You need to know, for example, what information you need to provide.” He said, “It can be genuinely overwhelming given the massive amounts of information that exist today. Weinschenk also referred us to a recent paper he presented on political anxiety titled “On pins and needles.” The paper shows that ever since 2020, anxiety related to political speech and elections has risen, with these findings being backed up by many studies, such as the American Psychological Association, which suggests that one’s political anxiety may even be detrimental to one’s health.
With the uncertainty and evident anxiety surrounding the upcoming presidential election, Weinschenk advised, “If you are unfamiliar with the process of registering to vote, do some research ahead of time. In Wisconsin, voters can register to vote on election day, which is awesome, but people also need to make sure they have the correct documents.” He added, “Finally, take some time to learn about the candidates. Visit their websites and see what they themselves say about different policy issues. Watch candidate debates (if there have been any) so you can see how the candidates present themselves and respond to questions (and interact with other politicians). There are a lot of good ways to get information about the candidates these days. Take advantage.”
Those interested in voting should visit https://www.uwgb.edu/vote/ to learn more about procedures, required materials, locations, and absentee ballot requirements for UWGB students. Those interested in voting on the UWGB campus must register to vote on Election Day and provide an approved photo ID (which may include a driver’s license, University Voter ID, or passport, proof of current address, and an enrollment verification letter). The general election day is November 5th, 2024.
