Election Stress

Authors: Jackson Butler, Robert Humphrey

SUNY Campus: Cayuga Community College

Presentation Type: Poster

Location: Old Union Hall

Presentation #: 31

Timeslot: Session B 10:15-11:15 AM

Abstract: This research paper will investigate the relationship between anxiety and the U.S. presidential election of 2024. There are many different things that can play into anxiety surrounding an election including a sense of belonging and feeling unsafe with one of the candidates. An important thing to investigate is who is most affected by anxiety, and why they feel anxious. Many people feel as though choosing a candidate is about picking the lesser of two evils and trying to find the leader that will cause the least amount of damage. This can build a lot of anxiety when the country is at a time when people are so worked up about the things that are happening around them. Learning more about why people are stressed or anxious during the elections can allow professionals to build resources to help support those who are struggling. Minorities are a focus of this research paper, as there are consistently laws mentioned that affect their lives. Many of these minorities feel as though candidates are using their lives to win followers, especially when it comes to issues involving LGBTQ+ support, racial discrimination, and immigration. During previous elections, many people have reported having a raised amount of stress and anxiety, and those rates are higher in high-risk communities. The researcher’s hypothesis is that those rates will be similar if not higher than those of previous years.