News at IU

IU experts available to comment on Electoral College vote count in Congress

January 5, 2021

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- At 1 p.m. Wednesday, lawmakers from the U.S. House and Senate will assemble to formally count the votes of the Electoral College in the 2020 presidential election. Dozens of Republicans in the House and Senate, including Indiana Sen. Mike Braun, say they will object to the certification of President-elect Joe Biden's victory, citing unsubstantiated claims of election fraud and irregularities. Political science experts from IU Bloomington are available to comment on Congress' role in the election process and the likelihood that the lawmakers' objections will change the election results. For more information contact Marah Yankey at mqharbis@iu.edu or 812-856-1442.

Edward G. Carmines

American politics, elections, public opinion, political behavior.

IU Bloomington

Phone: 774-212-2721

Email: carmines@indiana.edu

Expert Bio

Edward G. Carmines is a Distinguished Professor, Warner O. Chapman Professor of Political Science and Rudy Professor in the College of Arts and Sciences at IU Bloomington. He is also the director of IU's Center on American Politics and the research director at IU's Center on Representative Government. His research focuses on American politics, especially elections, public opinion and political behavior. He chaired the Department of Political Science at IU for seven years, from 1990 to 1997. (more)

Marjorie Hershey

Elections, political party organizations, party identification, media coverage of elections, campaign finance.

IU Bloomington

Phone: 812-345-5073

Email: hershey@indiana.edu

Expert Bio

Marjorie Hershey has written extensively on political parties and campaigns, including the ways in which media interpret election results. She has written four books (one in its 17th edition) and several dozen articles in professional journals. Her most recent work is on party activists and also on media coverage of the Trump campaign and presidency. (more)

Steven Webster

Anger and politics, polarization, voting behavior, public opinion.

IU Bloomington

Phone: 515-343-9407

Email: swwebste@iu.edu

Expert Bio

Steven Webster, an assistant professor of political science at IU Bloomington, focuses his research on the role of anger in American politics. His book, "American Rage: How Anger Shapes Our Politics," was published in 2020 by Cambridge University Press. He has also written extensively on the growth of "negative partisanship" in the American electorate, as well as the growing amount of polarization between Democrats and Republicans. (more)