In Modesto area, election triggers anxiety, adds worry to pandemic-stressed voters
Nearly 70% of adults across the country report feeling anxious about the presidential race, compared to 52% in 2016, according to the American Psychological Association.
That stress can be seen in Stanislaus County as Tuesday’s Election Day draws closer.
“The anxiety I feel is if Joe Biden gets in,” said Marcella, of Oakdale, who asked her last name not be used. “But, I believe in God and he’s in control, so even if he does, it’ll all be OK.”
More Democrats, at 76%, than Republicans, 67%, or Independents at 64% are feeling the strain.
Chris, from Sonora, was shopping at the Riverbank Target with his family. “I really hope Trump wins, so I’m kind of nervous,” he said.
Although the election is a pressing source of stress, 2020 has been fraught with challenges, including the coronavirus pandemic, civil unrest, wildfires and other natural disasters, economic uncertainty and the deep political divide.
In addition, some voters are worried about intimidation at the polls and violence after the election, according to a report in USA Today. In Stanislaus County, the election is atypical as it’s all-mail.
Although not asked for whom they were voting, some volunteered the candidate they’re supporting. No one expressed anxiety about local elections or the California propositions, only the presidential election.
The combination of COVID-19, election
On Thursday, Wendy Byrd, president of the NAACP Modesto-Stanislaus chapter, was volunteering at the King-Kennedy Center packing COVID-19 supply kits for people in need.
“I would call it more anticipation than anxiety,” said Byrd, “I think we’ve had a chaotic four years and people are ready for some type of stability, credibility and honesty that they can believe in.”
She said COVID-19 happening at the same time is intertwined with the election concerns, as the pandemic has had a big effect on the community.
“I think everyone is wondering what the situation is going to look like, especially with COVID, as African American and Latino communities, and in this area Latinos in particular, are being hardest hit.”
Byrd added that some NAACP members had expressed worry about the election and the pandemic’s economic hit.
“The conditions, even outside of COVID, for a lot of people of color were bad,” said Byrd, “So I think a lot of people are looking for change and it (the election) is an opportunity. Our country has to come together.”
Unlike some others, June Sabo from Riverbank said she wasn’t worried about the pending election.
“Nothing is going to change too much, because we’re still going to have the COVID,” said Sabo. “That’s the way it’s going to be for a while.”
Shantel Johnson, mental health peer counselor and member of the NAACP, was also preparing COVID-19 kits at the King-Kennedy Center.
“I’m feeling a little anxious,” said Johnson, “I can imagine that people of this country are feeling just as anxious.”
She said she wants to see the right person get into office, as people have been dealing with so much this year, including the pandemic, homelessness, job loss and the death of loved ones.
The APA performs the survey about stress every year and not surprisingly, 2020 respondents reported high rates of stress, as nearly two-thirds endorsed feeling on edge since the start of the pandemic.
Almost three-fourths of respondents reported being worried about the country’s future. However, despite worrying, more than 70% still reported a high degree of hope, though there were differences among age groups. More millennials, ages 24 to 39, reported feeling hopeful at 76% than other age groups, and Gen Z, ages 13 to 23, had the fewest feeling hopeful at 64%.
Political science perspective
“Politics stress people even when an election is not imminent,” said Matt Hibbing, associate professor of political science at UC Merced.
Hibbing and his colleagues performed a nationwide survey among voting-age adults in 2017 about politics and impact on physical and mental health, and 38% reported being stressed by politics, with effects on their well-being and relationships.
With the upcoming election, Hibbing said uncertainty and the pandemic are big contributors to distress. Also, people don’t know what to make of the polls, after the miss in predictions for the 2016 election.
“Most people think Trump will win,” said Hibbing, “For Democrats, they see this with anxiety and less so for Republicans. They give him a better shot than the polls suggests. His supporters have seen him down in the polls before and he still wins.”
However, Hibbing said there’s a notable difference from 2016, Biden’s lead in the polls has been stable for months, so, “It will be surprising if polls are as off as 2016.”
He suggested for people who like to monitor them to look at an aggregate of polls from reliable sources and avoid social media sources.
Hibbing said he does have some anxiety personally as a political scientist.
“The language that we’re hearing about stopping vote counting, because this is the kind of stuff we see in authoritarian regimes and could affect elections well into the future,” said Hibbing, “This keeps me up at night.”
Tips for coping with election anxiety
The APA psychologists recommend a few tips for coping with election-induced anxiety and stress in general:
- Take a break from the news – interesting advice from a news outlet, but the news will still be here after you’ve recharged
- Create COVID-safe opportunities for connecting with family, friends and community
- Provide opportunities, especially for younger generations, to talk about their worries
- Practice the rule of “Three Good Things” – at the end of each day, reflect on three positive things as this helps combat anxiety and depression
- Practice self-care every day, which is doing something you enjoy, such as yoga or a nature walk
- Don’t work in the same space as you sleep
- Facilitate access to mental health services for loved ones in distress
- Seek professional help if you’re feeling overwhelmed
In Stanislaus County, contact the crisis response team at 209-558-4600 for immediate mental health needs or the warm line at 209-558-4600 for anyone struggling, but not in crisis. Information can be found at http://www.stancounty.com/bhrs/suicide-prevention.shtm
This story was produced with financial support from The Stanislaus County Office of Education and the Stanislaus Community Foundation, along with the GroundTruth Project’s Report for America initiative. The Modesto Bee maintains full editorial control of this work.
To help fund The Bee’s children’s health and economic development reporters with Report for America, go to bitly.com/ModbeeRFA
This story was originally published October 31, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
