In less than two weeks, Election Day will serve as the culmination of a tumultuous faceoff between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump for the office of the U.S. presidency. And while it seems like this election cycle has had enough turns of events to fill an entire history textbook, many people are still holding their breaths for one more twist: an October surprise.Â
If you’re not familiar with the term, “October surprise” describes the phenomenon of last-minute disruptions typically happening before a big election. The October surprise has become a feature of modern politics, especially in the presidential elections. In 2016, it was the audiotape that was released in which Trump described groping women. And in 2020, it was the Hunter Biden laptop hard drive being released, which led to concerns of potential corruption linked to Joe Biden.Â
The October surprise can be a multitude of different occurrences, such as a new and important revelation, an embarrassing moment, or a bad statement given by one of the candidates, either in the present or the past. Especially in close elections in which the candidates are fighting tooth and nail for every undecided voter, these new bits of information can have a dramatic effect on those last-minute deciders.Â
The current election between Harris and Trump could not be a better example of a close race. According to recent New York Times polls, Harris is barely leading Trump in the national average by a meager 1%. Suffice it to say, this election is currently extremely close, especially in crucial swing states such as Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Georgia. An October surprise might be the exact thing that can help the final cohort of undecided voters to make their ultimate decisions on who they will vote for president.Â
maybe the real october surprise was the friends we made along the way
— Peter Twinklage 🥥🌴 (@PeterTwinklage) October 23, 2024
That said, this election already feels like it has been *filled* with disruptions and new revelations. From Biden dropping out and endorsing Harris, to Trump being convicted of 36 felony charges, a lot has happened since the election cycle started. Another groundbreaking event taking place at the end of a six-month long string of disruptions could either be a total game-changer, or just another loop on this political roller coaster this country is currently strapped into.Â
Still, the power of an October surprise can not be underestimated. If one happens, it will likely be the last major thing that voters think about before going to the polls. And if history repeats itself, there likely *is* an October surprise coming to impact this presidential election. As we all have seen these past few months, these candidates, and voters across the country, will have to prepare for all possibilities, because anything could happen in the final days leading up to this election.