Election Day is right around the corner and do you know for whom you are voting? If you answered no, then you are not alone. According to polls, this election has been the closest in recent history, revealing that Americans are unsure of how to cast their votes. Vice President Al Gore and Governor George W. Bush have taken turns leading in the polls by only a slim margin.

This election has been close for a number of reasons. One such reason is the fact that the Democrats have been in office for eight consecutive years. According to Dr. Kenneth Warren, professor of political science, “People are looking for a change in leadership, but deep down they know Gore has more experience. This can cause the voters to waver. The support is soft for the candidates. As the polls show, one week the people support Bush; the next they favor Gore.” Dr. Stephen Puro, political science professor, adds, “The problem with this election has been that there is no outstanding candidate. This is why the polls have reflected such closeness.”

Although the polls reflect a small difference in the candidates’ ratings, Gore and Bush have run very different campaigns. This can be seen in their styles during the recent debates.

Warren said, “Gore has proven to be a much better debater. He knows the issues better and has more experience with expressing them. If these debates were preformed for judges, Gore would have won hands down. He is aiming over the voters’ heads, though. He is just failing to make a connection with Americans.” Puro offers his own opinion of Gore’s campaign: “Gore has substantially more experience and knowledge of national and international issues. However, he has not energized the base of the Democratic voters. He has not found any issues that have excited the voters.”

While Gore is believed to possess more experience, Bush is considered to have been more effective in reaching the voters. In Warren’s opinion, “Bush’s campaign is doing better. He may be bumbling and not very articulate, but he is hammering his ideas home. Bush has very basic and simple points that he tries to make each time he speaks. He makes sure that people can remember his words.” Puro sums up Bush’s campaign by calling it effective: “Governor Bush has been effective in moving toward the center of the political spectrum and making inroads in to traditionally Democratic issues such as Social Security and education.”

As voters head to the election booths, there is much speculation as to which issues will be the most important. Puro makes the point, “There have been a number of competing factors. I do not look at any one issue to be more important. Although, the economy is always a key issue.” Warren also believes that the economy will be one of the major issues, “Traditionally, people go with their wallets. This is a major motivation for voting. However, under the Democrats, the economy is strong. This allows voters to start focusing on other issues such as Medicare, Social Security and subsidized prescriptions. Additionally, the unique aspect of this election is the question of what to do with the enormous government surplus.”

In 1992, the rate of voter participation was up to 55 percent but then dropped down to 49 percent in the 1996 elections. “I anticipate that the voter turnout will be a little above normal because of the closeness of the election,” says Warren. This is just about the only prediction that either Warren or Puro is willing to make.

“I could not even predict the outcome of this election. The race is extremely tight,” Warren adds. According to Puro, “There still remain about 20 states that are too close to call, Missouri being one of them.”

There is no clear leader in this race; therefore, the results of the election are still unpredictable.