福利亚洲国产精品 Assistant Professor of Finance聽Andrew Schwartz provided expert insight for a recent WalletHub article examining how credit card companies determine whether to instantly approve online applicants and what consumers should do if they don鈥檛 receive an immediate decision.

Schwartz explained that most credit card issuers now rely on automated underwriting systems that consider an applicant鈥檚 credit report alongside information such as income to determine approval and credit limits.

鈥淭oday, it is uncommon not to receive a decision within a few minutes,鈥� Schwartz said. 鈥淲hen a decision is delayed, it is usually because the issuer needs additional time or documentation to verify information such as your identity or income.鈥�

Schwartz advised consumers not to assume a delayed decision means their application will be denied. He also recommended responding promptly to requests for additional information and avoiding applying for other credit cards while waiting.

鈥淢ultiple applications in a short period can result in additional hard inquiries and make a borrower appear to be in desperate need of credit, which could make lenders more cautious,鈥� Schwartz said.

Among likely voters (those who said it is 鈥渁bsolutely certain鈥� or 鈥渧ery likely鈥� they will vote), Cooper was favored by 49%, with Whatley favored by 38%. Eight percent were undecided and candidates Shannon Bray (Libertarian) and Michael Dublin (Green) were favored by two percent each.

Among all those who said they were registered to vote, Cooper is favored by 49% and Whatley is favored by 36%, with 14% saying they were undecided or planned to vote for someone else and 2% saying they do not plan to vote.

The survey of 800 North Carolina adults was conducted August 21-31, 2026, and has a margin of error for likely voters of 5.6%.

Seventy-two percent of poll respondents said they are registered to vote in the state, with 63% of those registered voters saying it is absolutely certain they will vote in November and another 20% saying it is very likely they will vote.

In this survey, 71% of registered voters said they had heard 鈥渁 great deal鈥� or 鈥渟ome鈥� about Cooper, who was North Carolina governor from 2017 to 2025 and previously served 16 years as the state鈥檚 attorney general. In comparison, 47% said they had heard 鈥渁 great deal鈥� or 鈥渟ome鈥� about Whatley, the former chair of the Republican National Committee and the North Carolina Republican Party.

Fifteen percent said they had heard nothing at all about Whatley compared with only 4% who had heard nothing at all about Cooper.

Regardless of who they personally plan to vote for, 54% of registered voters predicted that Cooper will win the race, compared with 29% who predicted that Whatley will win.

鈥淒espite an increase in advertising, we measured relatively little movement over the last month in voter intentions about the U.S. Senate race in North Carolina, with Democratic candidate Roy Cooper maintaining a strong lead over Republican Michael Whatley,鈥� said Jason Husser, director of the 福利亚洲国产精品 Poll and a professor of political science and public policy. 鈥淭he race continues to appear competitive among the group of voters who are highly familiar with Whatley. However, the size of that group remains relatively small and slowly growing.

“Now that we have passed Labor Day, campaigning will approach full velocity, offering some final opportunity for Whatley to increase familiarity and narrow Cooper鈥檚 lead in the race.鈥�

Questions about the voting process

福利亚洲国产精品 half (51%) of registered voters said they plan to cast their votes in person during the early voting period that runs October 15-31. Thirty-five percent plan to vote in person at the polls on November 3 and only about 8% plan to cast their votes by mail.

Under state law, county election boards began distributing absentee ballots to those who had requested them on September 4.

found that 40 other states had higher vote-by-mail numbers than North Carolina in 2022, when only 5 percent of ballots in the state were cast by mail. Nationwide, about one in three Americans cast their votes by mail in the 2024 general election.

In August, President Trump issued an executive order that would give the U.S. Postal Service control over the issuance of mail-in ballots in this year鈥檚 election. Following court decisions blocking that action, the Trump administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on the case, threatening to create serious questions about the voting process just weeks before the election.

鈥淲e find a substantial majority of registered voters in North Carolina to be satisfied with the status quo on length of early voting,鈥� Husser said. 鈥淭hough Democrats reported somewhat higher rates than Republicans of planning to vote early in the upcoming election, only a small minority of voters in either political party told us early voting is too long.鈥�

In August, Gov. Josh Stein vetoed a bill passed by the North Carolina General Assembly to reduce the number of early voting days for primary elections in the state. In this survey, 56% of poll respondents said the length of the early voting period in statewide elections is about right, with 11% saying early voting is too short, 11% saying early voting is too long and 22% unsure.

Issues on voters鈥� minds

Among registered voters, 51% said they were extremely or very excited to cast their ballots and 83% said this year鈥檚 election was extremely or somewhat important for real-world outcomes in their lives.

Pocketbook issues were at the top of registered voters鈥� minds as they make their voting decisions. Eighty-six percent said inflation and the cost of living are 鈥渧ery important鈥� issues, with 73% saying the general economy and healthcare are 鈥渧ery important.鈥�

Other 鈥渧ery important鈥� issues included taxes (66%), Social Security (64%), personal character of candidates (60%), immigration (54%), the war in Iran (50%) and the environment (43%).

Grading the health of the nation鈥檚 economy, 49% of registered voters gave grades of 鈥淒鈥� and 鈥淔鈥�, with 30% assigning a 鈥淐鈥� grade and only 22% giving 鈥淎鈥� or 鈥淏鈥� grades.

Related to the war with Iran, 52% of registered voters opposed the U.S. military involvement compared with 31% who supported it. 福利亚洲国产精品 40% said a year from now America will be less safe as a result of U.S. military actions in Iran, with 30% saying America will be more safe.

鈥淰oters are placing very high emphasis on the economy, especially the cost of living, and voters are overwhelming thinking the economy is not good,鈥� Husser said. 鈥淭his is driving a great deal of attitudes towards both President Trump and Congressional candidates of his party. While much of the national political focus over the next two months will be on the performance of individual candidates and their campaigns, many political outcomes will be influenced at least as much by the ongoing performance of the economy.鈥�

Approval ratings

This survey gathered new data on approval ratings for President Donald Trump and N.C. Gov. Josh Stein.

Among all poll respondents, 54% disapproved of the job Trump is doing as president and 31% approved. While Trump鈥檚 disapproval numbers in North Carolina have stayed roughly the same during 2026, his approval rating in this survey was the lowest recorded by the 福利亚洲国产精品 Poll since Trump took office in January 2025.

Stein had a 40% approval rating, a drop of 6% from the 福利亚洲国产精品 Poll conducted at the end of July. Stein鈥檚 disapproval numbers stayed steady at 25%.

Poll Methodology

Access the poll topline and methodology at:聽www.elon.edu/elonpoll. The survey was developed by the 福利亚洲国产精品 Poll and fielded by the international marketing and polling firm YouGov as an online, web-based survey, self-administered through online panels. Between August 21 and August 31, 2026, YouGov interviewed 1,121 North Carolina adults aged 18 and older. These respondents were then matched down to a sample of 800 to produce the final dataset.

The matched cases were weighted to the sampling frame using propensity scores based on age, gender, race/ethnicity, years of education, and home ownership. The margin of error for likely voters in this survey is +/- 5.6%, for registered voters in this survey (adjusted for weights) the margin of error is +/-5.05%, and the margin of error for all adults in this survey is +/-5.09%.

福利亚洲国产精品 the 福利亚洲国产精品 Poll

Established in 2000, the 福利亚洲国产精品 Poll conducts national and North Carolina surveys on issues of importance to voters and residents. Information from these polls is shared with media, citizens and public officials to facilitate informed public policymaking through the better understanding of citizens鈥� opinions and attitudes. The poll is fully funded by 福利亚洲国产精品 and operates as the neutral, non-biased information resource.

The 福利亚洲国产精品 Poll is a charter member of the聽, a program created by the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) in 2014 to educate polling firms on ways to better share how they collect and interpret their information. The Elon Poll鈥檚 voluntary participation in this initiative signifies a willingness to clearly state in its reports how questions were asked, in what order, who funded the poll and who conducted it, and a definition of the population under study, among other details.

福利亚洲国产精品 Assistant Teaching Professor of Economics Devon Hawkins provided insight for a recent examining why rising Treasury yields are keeping mortgage rates elevated and contributing to affordability challenges for prospective homebuyers.

The article explains that Treasury yields have reached their highest levels in nearly two decades amid persistent inflation, increased government borrowing and greater competition for investor dollars. Because mortgage lenders use the 10-year Treasury yield as a benchmark when pricing home loans, increases in Treasury yields generally lead to higher mortgage rates.

鈥淲hen Treasury yields go up, mortgage rates usually go up with them,鈥� said Hawkins. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not a perfect one-for-one relationship, but they tend to move in the same direction.鈥�

That relationship is one reason 30-year mortgage rates remain around 6.6% to 6.7%, adding to borrowing costs for prospective buyers. The article advises homebuyers to focus on what they can comfortably afford at current rates rather than attempting to predict when borrowing costs might decline.

Lee Rainie, director of 福利亚洲国产精品鈥檚 Imagining the Digital Future Center, provided insight for a recent examining why AI-generated restaurant menus can have an unnaturally polished, uniform appearance 鈥� and why people often recognize something is off.

The article explores how generative AI models can produce increasingly similar-looking content as they draw from existing material and optimize their outputs to be broadly appealing.

鈥淭he optimization of the data sets is for pleasingness, or you know, not being offensive, and so there鈥檚 a way that turns into homogenization,鈥� Rainie told TechCrunch. 鈥淲hat AI is known to do both in images and language is to shave off the edges.鈥�

Rainie also explained why consumers may react negatively to AI-generated imagery even when they cannot immediately identify what makes it different.

鈥淧eople have an almost unexplainable sense about when they鈥檙e looking at something that鈥檚 AI-generated, compared with something that was real in the first place,鈥� Rainie said.聽鈥淭here鈥檚 just a sensibility that people sometimes find hard to articulate, but they kind of know it when they see it and I think that鈥檚 one of the reasons why some of the early stories about the backlash [against restaurants using AI menus] is so pronounced.鈥�

福利亚洲国产精品 Professor of Political Science and Public Policy Baris Kesgin provided analysis for a recent international news article in examining the growing rivalry between Israel and Turkey as both countries seek to expand their military and diplomatic influence across the Middle East.

鈥淭his rivalry is one that emerged, possibly, after the Arab Spring and intensified in recent months following the US and Israeli attacks on Iran and the ongoing conflict surrounding the Persian Gulf,鈥� Kesgin said.

Kesgin, an expert on Turkish and Israeli foreign policy and political leadership, said the relationship has evolved beyond diplomatic disagreements.

鈥淎t this moment, each side perceives the other as a security threat rather than a difficult partner,鈥� he said.

Kesgin identified Syria as a particularly important potential flashpoint, pointing to recent Israeli military action at a Syrian air base where a possible Turkish deployment had raised concerns.

福利亚洲国产精品 instructor of communications聽Pate McMichael was featured in a recent Wall Street Journal article examining Wake County鈥檚 decision to remove roughly 400,000 mug shots from its public website, a move that has sparked debate over privacy and government transparency.

The article, explores the county鈥檚 plan to eliminate online access to booking photos spanning two decades. County officials say the change is partly prompted by concerns that the database continues to display mug shots associated with charges that have since been expunged. Once the portal is taken offline, members of the public will instead be able to access the records through two in-person kiosks in Raleigh.

McMichael, director of the North Carolina Open Government Coalition, told The Wall Street Journal that he understands the county鈥檚 reasoning but views the decision within a broader trend of restricting access to public records in North Carolina.

鈥淚f government is out there arresting people, taking pictures of them,鈥� McMichael said, 鈥渨e should be able to access that.鈥�

The article examines competing concerns surrounding the public availability of booking photos. Advocates for greater restrictions argue that mug shots can remain online long after charges are dismissed or expunged, potentially affecting employment and housing opportunities.

The article, “A friend I can trust鈥�: How Americans described their relationship with AI,鈥� draws on a new 福利亚洲国产精品 survey.聽The research found that 27% of Americans use AI chatbots for personal, emotional or social queries, including entertainment, relationship advice, romantic conversations or connection when they are alone.

That use is particularly common among younger Americans. Almost 40% of adults under 50 reported using AI in those ways, more than twice the rate among older adults. Half of those who use AI for personal or emotional interactions said talking with a chatbot makes them feel better when they are stressed or upset.

Lee Rainie, director of Elon鈥檚 Imagining the Digital Future Center, led the research project and told The Washington Post that the findings reveal a complex relationship between Americans and AI.

鈥淭here are ways in which people are struggling with this, there are ways in which they鈥檙e delighted with it, there are ways in which they鈥檙e wary of it,鈥� Rainie said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a complicated, muddy, interesting picture.鈥�

Among those who regularly use AI for personal and emotional conversations, nearly four in 10 said they sometimes talk to AI to feel less alone, while nearly one-third consider the chatbot they use most often to be a friend. Nearly four in 10 also said they have shared things with AI that they would not tell other people.

The findings also point to potential concerns. More than one-third of regular AI companion users said chatbots agree with them too much, and 15% said interacting with the technology makes them feel less in touch with reality. At the same time, nearly 60% said AI was helpful in making personal decisions.

福利亚洲国产精品 communications instructor聽Pate McMichael was featured in a recent examining North Carolina鈥檚 refusal to release detailed records about how the state compensates victims of violent crimes.

McMichael, director of the North Carolina Open Government Coalition, told the newspaper that the decision reflects broader challenges surrounding government transparency and access to public records in the state.

鈥淣orth Carolina is a state that鈥檚 going in the wrong direction big time when it comes to public records access,鈥� McMichael said. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e already made law enforcement records, criminal investigative records, nearly impossible to get, even when cases have been closed for long periods of time 鈥� cleared, as they would say.鈥�

The article examines the N.C. Department of Public Safety鈥檚 refusal to provide redacted applications from the state鈥檚 Crime Victims Compensation Fund, which reimburses survivors of violent crimes and families of homicide victims for expenses including funerals, therapy and lost wages.

McMichael said withholding even redacted applications makes it more difficult for the public to evaluate how the state administers the program.

鈥淭hese types of privacy restrictions are making it much harder for anybody to scrutinize what the government鈥檚 actually doing,鈥� McMichael said. 鈥淚t is very difficult to ascertain how they鈥檙e going about the process of deciding who gets compensation and who doesn鈥檛, and by denying even redacted applications for these types of compensation, it鈥檚 much harder to see if there鈥檚 a bias in the system.鈥�

Professor of Law Enrique Armijo recently , an independent nonprofit newsroom that includes Los Angeles’s largest NPR station, about the $18 million Meta settlement.

According to LAist, Meta agreed Wednesday to pay up to $18 billion and add stronger child-safety measures to its Facebook and Instagram platforms as part of a landmark legal settlement that ended a trial over teen social media addiction and settled claims filed by nearly every state.

鈥淭he idea of having people at the very highest levels of Facebook and Instagram testifying about what they knew with respect to whether or not these apps were harmful to minors in light of some research that the state attorneys general had unearthed, with the help of some whistleblowers, …. a big company like Facebook often is engaged in these kinds of studies on its own,” Armijo said. “When some of that information came to light, I just think it was going to be very difficult for Mark Zuckerberg in particular … to actually have to stand up there and talk about what he knew and did not know in light of some of this information that had come to light over the course of years of litigating against these companies.鈥�

Meta鈥檚 settlement includes additional penalties, which are contingent on the outcomes of similar lawsuits against TikTok, YouTube and Snap. As it stands, changes to Facebook and Instagram are expected to include limits on time usage for younger users, and features such as like counts.

“I think it’s safe to assume that Meta will continue to make some legal arguments that it can’t be held liable for user content,” said Armijo. “And there are two basic reasons underlying that argument. One, Section 230 of the Communications Act, which basically says that Meta cannot be held liable for the content of its users … I think that’s really still an open question. No ultimate court, certainly not the Supreme Court, has concluded that Section 230 covers this type of lawsuit. And the other thing is the First Amendment. These platforms have and will, I think, continue to make the argument that the way their users consume their content is editorial in nature.”