Undecided voters: can they affect the election?

By Michael Vinci 11/5/16

The election is just days away, and a large number of eligible voters remain undecided. Undecided voters make up just a fraction of the voting percentage, only 2 percent, according to Nancy Benac of the Associated Press. In most races, the undecideds’ sway is negligible this close to Election Day. However, their voice may be able to influence the outcome of this tight presidential race.
The AP article highlighted that a number of undecideds are unsure who to vote for due to the highly negative public images of both front runners, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. While the presence of a significant portion of undecided voters may influence the outcome of this race, the indecisiveness this close to Election Day may lead to a number of undecided voters to abstain.
In early October, Republican pollster Micah Roberts analyzed a portion of data on undecided voters and found a majority of them to be leaning to the right. Democratic undecideds state Hillary Clinton’s trustworthiness as an issue, while many Republicans cannot bring themselves to vote for Trump, claiming he does not reflect their party’s values.

According to the Associated Press, many undecided voters also align themselves with third party candidates but feel discouraged from voting for them due to the idea that it would be a wasted vote. The overwhelming dislike of both Trump and Clinton from both sides has left Americans between a rock and a hard place in the tumultuous finale of the 2016 race.