The 2018 midterms are rapidly approaching and voters want to believe they’re going to make rational choices at the polls. But as Professor Casey Klofstad explains, there is an unexpected factor influencing voter behavior and affecting our elections—the tone of a candidate’s voice. For More on this Topic: Read Klofstad’s article in The Scientific American, How Voice Pitch Influences Our Choice of Leaders Check out his book, Civic Talk: Peers, Politics, and the Future of Democracy Find his brief, Talking about Politics Boosts Civic Participation Further Reading: Why Beards and Mustaches are Rare for Modern American Politicians, Rebekah Herrick, Oklahoma State University To Win Elections, Do Women Candidates Have to be Better Qualified than Men?, Sarah Andrea Fulton, Texas A&M University