Maine political expert says voters likely have their minds already made up

PORTLAND (WGME) – With just two months left until Election Day, campaigns in Maine and across the country are in full swing.

Both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are making their pitches to voters. In Maine, Congressman Jared Golden and Republican challenger Austin Theriault are preparing for a handful of debates.

But do these late-game campaign events actually matter when it comes to influencing voters?

One local political scientist says this close to the election, the events themselves likely have little impact in races where many have already made up their minds.

“You’re right, it’s unlikely to change a lot of minds,” USM Political Science Professor Ron Schmidt said. “And that there are probably not many undecided voters there. But right now, this election looks so close that it doesn’t take many votes for any action to become consequential. So it could wind up mattering in this context.”

Schmidt went on to say while debates rarely change voters’ minds, they can have an impact on morale and have some effect on voter turnout.

Harris and Trump will debate on September 10, while Golden and Theriault will debate on CBS13 on October 3.