CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas —
We are now 41 days away from election day.
Former president Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are in the homestretch of their campaigns and seeking to become the 47th president of the United States.
From Joe Biden stepping down as the Democratic nominee and endorsing Harris with less than four months till election day, to former president Donald trump's two assassination attempts, Americans have watched a truly historic election season unfold right before their eyes.
While we're living through historic times, political and psychological experts say, whether they realize it or not, it can cause a sense of anxiety amongst Americans.
Professor Dr. Michelle Hollenbaugh at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi's Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology says it's not unusual to feel anxious this time of year. In fact, it's normal.
"Election anxiety affects everybody, so it doesn't matter what political affiliation you have or how old you are,” Hollenbaugh said. “It affects everybody in the nation. I would say even across the world."
Dr. Hollenbaugh adds that perhaps one of the biggest reasons why people have anxiety during elections years is because of the uncertainty of what lies ahead.
“There's also this piece of, in election campaigns there's a lot of discussion of things they should be afraid of. We're told we should be afraid of a lot of different things, and so I think people really take that to heart.” she said. “And the other thing is, people are really passionate. They have some really strong beliefs and worldviews, and so it's really important to them."
Political analyst Dr. Bill Chriss agrees that election anxiety is a real thing. He believes that America's current political climate has a lot to do with the emotions Americans, regardless of political affiliation, are experiencing.
“I think the country is more divided than it has been since the Civil War, or at least since reconstruction. I think people are legitimately concerned about the continuing viability of democratic government and our republic,” Chriss said.
“It's not unprecedented. The country has been more divided. When you're in a position having to say, 'The country's been more divided' but you have to go all the way back to the Civil War, that's not a good thing."
Chriss believes the main reason why Americans have anxiety about the presidential race is because both political parties have become more extreme.
He says while it seems that both candidates are trying to move towards the middle, he believes they both have ties that are holding them down.
“I think what it basically boils down to is you got about half the population that is extremely suspicious of the other half and vice versa. When you have that kind of divisiveness and you have people who are actively undermining public confidence in the electoral system, you're bound to get anxiety.”