We study how public anxiety related to the threat of a disease outbreak can affect the behavior of voters, by looking at the Ebola scare that hit the U.S. right before the 2014 midterm elections. Exploiting the timing and location of the four cases diagnosed in the U.S., we show that heightened concern about Ebola led to a lower vote share for the Democrats, as well as lower turnout, despite no evidence of a general anti-incumbent effect (including for President Obama). Voters displayed increasingly conservative attitudes on immigration but not on other ideologically-charged issues. Our findings indicate that emotional reactions can have a strong electoral impact, and that this is mediated by issues that can be plausibly associated with the specific triggering factor.

• Cómo la crisis del ébola y la cobertura mediática favorecieron en EEUU a los republicanos en 2014 TRANSLATED How the Ebola Crisis and Media Coverage favored Republicans in the US in 2014 El Diario, Apr 19, 2020
• Republicans Successfully Politicized Ebola. Can They Do it Again in 2020? Niskanen Center - Science of Politics (podcast), Apr 22, 2020
• Tim Steller’s opinion: Instead of blaming China, McSally should apply her Ebola principle Arizona Daily Star, Apr 22, 2020
• Trump Has a Gut Feeling About What Covid-19 Means for 2020 New York Times, Apr 15, 2020
• How Economists Are Trying to Answer Coronavirus Questions New York Times, Apr 05, 2020