North Central College in the News
North Central College dean interviewed on ABC 7 Chicago
Oct 02, 2020
Dr. Stephen Maynard Caliendo weighs in on voter confusion ahead of the 2020 election
As the election gets closer, voters across the country are trying to navigate how best to cast their ballots come November. More than 2 million registered voters in Illinois have requested vote-by-mail ballots, and tens of thousands have already filled them out, voted and sent in the ballots. Still, with Election Day is less than five weeks away and early voting is in full swing, the questions from confused and concerned voters are still pouring in.
Election experts and voting officials agree we are all likely to have questions on election night, most notably who won the presidential race. Mail-in votes take longer to process and verify at a time when staffing and budgets are challenged, and officials are warning that winners may not be known for days or even weeks in tight races.
Dr. Stephen Maynard Caliendo, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at North Central College, spoke with ABC 7 Chicago on how this confusion can be bewildering, but he hopes concerns about the process do not translate into voter apathy.
“Folks might be so concerned or confused, they just choose not to participate that’s a problem as a political scientist I want to have maximum suffrage, but I’m really worried about what happens afterwards,” said Caliendo. “I’m worried about the messages that are going to come from candidates or parties, particularly the president because he’s already signaled that he has legal teams in place that he expects there to be problems. “
