policy
Vice President Kamala Harris is 31 points ahead of former President Donald Trump in a brand new Harvard University poll of young voters released Tuesday.
The Autumn edition the Harvard Youth Survey A poll by the Institute of Politics, which surveyed 18- to 29-year-olds nationwide, found the Democratic presidential nominee leading her Republican opponent 61% to 30% amongst likely voters in a multi-candidate field. In a head-to-head matchup against Trump, Harris leads 59% to 33% amongst registered voters who participated within the poll.
By comparison, Harvard's spring poll of voters under 30 found President Joe Biden leading Trump by 13 points amongst likely voters in a multi-candidate field.
“This poll shows a clear shift in the general mood and preferences of young Americans as the election season enters the home stretch,” said John Della Volpe, IOP poll director, in an announcement. “Vice President Harris has strengthened Democrats' position among young voters, and is ahead of Trump on key issues and personal qualities. The increased enthusiasm of Generation Z and young Millennials suggests they may play a decisive role in the youth vote in 2024.”
According to Harvard, the number of ladies supporting Harris because the Democratic presidential candidate has jumped because the poll of young voters conducted within the spring. Among likely female voters, the poll puts her at 70 percent, ahead of Trump at 23 percent.
“The shift we're seeing in Harris' favor is massive and driven primarily by young women,” said Anil Cacodcar, chairman of the Harvard Public Opinion Project, in an announcement. “Harris enjoys a perfect storm of personal appeal, political support and positive social media reach.”
Fifty-six percent of survey respondents told Harvard they “definitely” plan to vote in November's election. Among registered voters who responded, that number rose to 72 percent.
According to the survey, social media plays a big role for young voters within the lead-up to the election. Fifty-three percent of respondents said that they had encountered memes about Harris online within the last month, with 34 percent saying it had positively influenced their opinion of the Democratic candidate. Fifty-six percent said that they had encountered a meme about Trump, with 26 percent saying it had negatively influenced their perception of the previous Republican president. YouTube and Instagram ranked highest amongst platforms used to access news and current events, with 32 percent and 27 percent of respondents, respectively, saying they use these channels often.
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