On Wednesday, October 30th, the Department of Political Science partnered with the Office of Student Involvement and Engagement, the Department of History, and the School of Journalism and Mass Communication for “Insights and Highlights: Elections Predictions Panel.” About 20 students, faculty, and staff attended the event, which was organized to examine insights, data, and predictions of the 2024 presidential election season.
The panel was moderated by Dr. Mary Brennan, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts. Panelists included Drs. Mike Faber (Political Science), Hyun Yun (Political Science), Ken Ward (Political Science), and Ann Burnett (Communication Studies). The panelists discussed who they predicted would win the presidential election, why they believed that, and what they thought would happen as a result. The panel was followed by a question-and-answer session, and audience questions addressed such topics as congressional elections, election and polling integrity, and the role of key states.
Dr. Ward abstained from predicting a winner, noting that “polls can lean one way, but results can break one way or the other.” He also predicted a “worse” aftermath than 2020. Drs. Faber, Yun and Burnette predicted a narrow win by Harris, while Faber added that, like 2020, we can expect to see election disputes and court involvement.
This event was part of a larger series on civic engagement, and the next event, “’Now What?’ After Elections Debrief,” will take place on November 7th. More information can be found on the event page here.
