New Harvard Youth Poll Shows Harris Rapidly Gaining Support Among Young Voters

WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris is rapidly gaining support among young voters, a move that could hurt former President Donald Trump’s chances of retaking the White House in November, according to a new poll released Tuesday.

The Harvard Youth Poll, conducted between September 4 and 18, found Harris with a comfortable 31-point lead over Trump (61% to 30%) among likely voters ages 18 to 29. Seven percent of candidates said they would vote for an independent or said they didn’t know who they would vote for.

Among registered voters ages 18 to 29, Harris has a 23-point lead over Trump (52% to 29%). Nineteen percent of candidates said they either did not know who they would vote for, declined to say or chose a third-party candidate.

The results come as Harris has won over young voters with a “Brother Summer”-inspired campaign, garnered endorsements from celebrities including Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish, and gained an active presence on social media platforms like TikTok.

“In just a few weeks, Vice President Harris has created a wave of enthusiasm among young voters. The shift we’re seeing in Harris’ direction is seismic, driven in large part by young women. Our study provides a deep dive into the values ​​of this generation that will propel them to the polls in November,” said Anil Cacodcar, president of the Harvard Public Opinion Project, in a press release. “Harris enjoys the perfect storm of personal appeal, political endorsements, and positive social media reach.”

The poll, conducted among 2,002 young adults nationwide, has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.65 percentage points.

Let’s take a closer look at the results of the Harvard Youth survey.

Division of issues, personality traits of both candidates

The poll shows that, compared to Trump, young voters view Harris more positively as a candidate.

When asked what first word or phrase comes to mind when they think of Harris, 33% of young voters mentioned positive words such as “capable” or “competent,” “hopeful” or “joyful,” and “young” or “a breath of fresh air.”

By comparison, only 17% of young voters surveyed thought positively of Trump, mentioning words such as leadership or strength, ability or competence, patriotism or MAGA (Make America Great Again).

Twenty-eight percent of young voters had an unfavorable view of Harris, compared with 63% of Trump.

Harris also has a more than 20-point lead over Trump among all young adults on issues including abortion, climate change, education, health care, protections from gun violence and protecting democracy, according to a Harvard Youth Poll press release.

“This survey reveals a significant shift in the overall mood and preferences of young Americans as the campaign enters its final stretch,” said John Della Volpe, IOP’s director of polling, in a press release. “Vice President Harris has strengthened the Democrats’ position among young voters, outpacing Trump on key issues and personal characteristics. The heightened enthusiasm of Gen Z and young millennials signals a potentially decisive role for the youth vote in 2024.”

The latest poll data shows an improvement for Democrats compared with young voters’ support for the party’s leading candidate when President Joe Biden was still in the race. Biden dropped out of the race in late July after a dismal debate performance with Trump.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Poll: Harris leads Trump among young voters