University of Nebraska-Lincoln Faculty and Students Featured in National Media Coverage

The Toll of the Ballot: How Nebraska Politics Strains Mental and Physical Health

When Americans sit down to watch a debate, scroll through campaign ads, or check the latest polling numbers, most expect to feel a rise in frustration or a flicker of anxiety. But for a staggering number of voters, that modern political friction has crossed the line from fleeting annoyance into a genuine crisis of well-being. According to research highlighted on an October episode of WAMU’s “If You Can Keep It,” politics is now taking a measurable toll on how everyday people sleep, eat, and live.

Kevin Smith, the Leland J. and Dorothy H. Olson Professor of political science at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, appeared as a featured guest on the October 5 broadcast to discuss his collaborative research into the intersection of elections and human health. The findings paint a stark picture of a stressed-out electorate.

Smith said the key thing that they found is that an astonishing number of Americans say that politics is affecting their health broadly construed, not just their psychological health, but their social health and even their physical health. The episode was subsequently picked up by dozens of NPR affiliates nationwide.

Perhaps most alarming in the data is a single recurring survey finding: one in 20 Americans report having experienced suicidal thoughts driven entirely by the state of politics. As the midterm elections heated up throughout October, Smith’s ongoing media appearances across local outlets like KETV, KLKN, and Nebraska Public Media brought those heavy numbers home to the plains, forcing a frank conversation about the human cost of polarization.

Weighing the Senate Snapshots

While researchers study the psychological fallout of the season, voters in Nebraska are also navigating a fiercely competitive political landscape, most notably in the high-stakes U.S. Senate race between incumbent Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts and independent challenger Dan Osborn. As national and local eyes turn toward the matchup, poll numbers have become a daily parlor game for anxious observers.

A YouGov survey released in October showed a narrow advantage for Osborn, sending ripples through political circles. But university experts are urging caution against reading too much tea leaves in a single poll.

Dona-Gene Barton, associate professor of political science at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, told Newsweek in an October 17 interview that observers shouldn’t mistake a temporary reading for a permanent shift. “One poll is a snapshot, not a trend,” she said. “I would caution against reading too much into a narrow lead that falls within the margin of error.”

Geoff Lorenz, another associate professor of political science at the university, echoed those measured perspectives in an October 17 interview with the Nebraska Examiner, helping readers cut through the noise of a tightening race.

Beyond the Ballot Box

The October news cycle made it clear that while campaigns dominate the airwaves, the broader work of research, agriculture, and community health across Nebraska moves forward on multiple fronts. From innovations in digital agricultural tools developed by the new Nebraska Digital Agriculture Hub to rural communities evaluating the daily utility of local walking trails, the state remains an active laboratory for regional problem-solving.

Whether it is managing the hidden nitrogen reservoirs threatening groundwater quality or watching students step into leadership programs, the rhythm of civic life extends far beyond the ballot. Yet as the political season reaches its climax, the underlying anxiety documented by University of Nebraska researchers remains a quiet, persistent undercurrent for voters trying to keep their health intact while keeping up with the news.