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Prof. Paul Gronke: Just in Time for Early Voting

By Kevin Myers on October 19, 2016 05:06 PM
Paul Gronke Early Voting Expert

Prof. Paul Gronke [poli sci]

As the last debate of the 2016 presidential election cycle approaches, we asked Professor of Political Science Paul Gronke, "what should we be looking for?"

Gronke strongly hopes the moderator Chris Wallace and candidate Hillary Clinton “push Trump on his accusations that the election is being rigged,” said Gronke. “His unfounded claims are threatening to the legitimacy of the system.”

Political observers both ardent and casual can arrive at the bipartisan agreement that this campaign season has been both unpredictable and unprecedented. For the first time in American history a woman was selected to represent a major political party, and her opponent has been a lightning rod for controversy.

For the Reed community one familiar voice can be heard among the tumult, attempting to make sense of voting trends and strategies. Whether you’re listening to NPR or reading the Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor, Time magazine, or Bloomberg news, Professor of Political Science Paul Gronke is fueling the political conversation with accurate data and measured commentary.

During previous elections he has appeared nationally on CNN and the Today Show, and he has been featured in the New York Times. Stories highlighting his research and opinions have been republished in hundreds of news sources around the world.

In 2004, Gronke created the Early Voting Information Center, a non-partisan academic research center based at Reed College. Gronke and his team conduct research on early voting and election reform, predominantly in the United States. In addition to their scholarly research, the group has worked on projects with the Pew Center on the States, the Federal Election Assistance Commission, and a number of state and local elections offices. Most recently Gronke has teamed with the Democracy Fund, which was established by eBay founder and philanthropist Pierre Omidyar to help ensure that the American people come first in our democracy.

For Gronke, his interviews with fellow Chicago Cub’s fan, NPR’s Scott Simon, are among his favorites. His most recent can be heard here, but his favorite personal story about Simon came from an accident that happened after his first interview. Gronke left the studio and believed he was texting a friend, “Just left my interview with Simon, on my way to Valois,” which is a restaurant in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago. Paul accidently texted Simon, who texted back, “Order the blueberry pancakes!”

Gronke also suggested watching the debate on split-screen with the Cubs vs Dodgers playoff game. “I hope the debate won’t be as ugly as the last Cub’s game!” he said as he left to prepare to watch both.

Reading/listening list for this election cycle:

Reading/listening list for this election cycle:

NPR
3 Sept. 1016
Early Voting Kicks Off

NPR
23 Sept. 2016
A Complete Guide To Early And Absentee Voting

Washington Post
28 Sept. 2016
Are U.S. elections ‘rigged?’ Here’s how to help voters believe that they’re not.

Washington Post
10 Aug. 2016
Americans have become much less confident that we count votes accurately

Christian Science Monitor
3 Sept. 2016
Why early voting could favor Democrats in key states

Time Magazine
4 June 2015
Will Democrats Keep Their Early Voting Advantage in 2016?

Bloomberg News
13 Oct. 2016
Clinton Campaign Makes Drive for Early Votes to Sew Up North Carolina

Tags: Early Voting, Paul Gronke