Young Americans favour Harris, but enthusiasm wanes
Young Americans are voting for Kamala Harris—a survey conducted by CNBC and Generation Lab reveals this two weeks before the presidential elections in the United States. According to the study, the Democratic candidate has a 20 percentage-point lead over the former president.
22 October 2024 17:54
The latest Youth & Money Survey, conducted by CNBC and Generation Lab, shows that among young Americans, Vice President Kamala Harris has a 20 percentage-point lead over Donald Trump, reports cnbc.com. The study was carried out at the end of the campaign, two weeks before the presidential elections.
Among Americans aged 18 to 34, 60% of respondents said they would vote for Kamala Harris in a direct match-up, while 40% declared they would vote for Donald Trump.
This indicates that in recent months, Harris has increased her lead over her political opponent, at least among young voters. Back in July, only 46% of respondents would have chosen Harris, while 34% indicated they would vote for Trump. Another 21% of respondents wanted to vote for the then-candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (he officially withdrew from the presidential race on August 23) or another candidate.
According to CNBC, respondents indicated TikTok, television news, and websites as the main sources of election information. The main issues important to young voters are employment, taxes, and trust in the government.
Young Americans disappointed with Harris and Trump?
Despite Kamala Harris's clear lead in the poll mentioned, young voters are far from enthusiastic about the Democratic Party candidate and her Republican opponent.
When pollsters asked the question, "How do you rate the presidential candidates?" As many as 38% of respondents replied, "I'm disappointed." Another 41% chose the response, "I'm neutral." Only 20% of respondents selected the third option, "I'm excited," to describe their feelings about the Harris-Trump showdown.
The Youth & Money Survey also found that 32% of young Americans still do not know where and how they will vote. Another 31% plan to vote "in person on election day," while over 24% of respondents stated they would vote by mail. The remaining respondents indicated they would vote in person but during early voting.