Examining the “October Surprise”
Voting machines to be used in the upcoming presidential election; Credit: Matt Rourke/AP Images.
This week, over on the Election Central Web site we take a look at the role of last-minute breaking news in presidential campaigns.
With Election Day traditionally held during the first few days of November, October becomes a crucial campaigning month in the United States. The term “October Surprise” refers to new events or scandals that pop up during the last weeks or days of a campaign that can affect or shake up the outcome of the election. These “Surprises” can take the form of anything from orchestrated media events to unplanned natural disasters. While we may tend to think of these surprising scandals and crises as a recent development in politics, the “October Surprise” has actually been a feature of presidential campaigns as far back as 1800.
To learn more, click here to visit the Election Central Web site.
Credit: McGraw-Hill Education