Politics

Kamala Harris holds 31-point lead over Donald Trump in new Harvard poll of young voters

"This poll reveals a significant shift in the overall vibe and preferences of young Americans as the campaign heads into the final stretch."

This combination of photos shows Vice President Kamala Harris, left, on Aug. 7, 2024 and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump on July 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast

By Dialynn Dwyer

September 24, 2024

2 minutes to read

Vice President Kamala Harris is leading former president Donald Trump by 31 points in a new Harvard University poll of young voters released on Tuesday.

The fall edition of the Harvard Youth Poll from the Institute of Politics, which surveyed 18 to 29-year-olds across the country, found the Democratic presidential nominee ahead of her Republican counterpart, 61% to 30%, in a multi-candidate field among likely voters. In a two-way matchup against Trump, Harris leads 59% to 33% among the registered voters who responded to the poll.

In comparison, Harvard’s spring poll of voters under 30 found President Joe Biden leading Trump in a multi-candidate field by 13 points among likely voters.

“This poll reveals a significant shift in the overall vibe and preferences of young Americans as the campaign heads into the final stretch,” John Della Volpe, IOP Polling Director, said in a statement. “Vice President Harris has strengthened the Democratic position among young voters, leading Trump on key issues and personal qualities. Gen Z and young millennials’ heightened enthusiasm signals a potentially decisive role for the youth vote in 2024.”

According to Harvard, since the poll of young voters conducted in the spring, the number of women throwing their support behind Harris as the Democratic presidential nominee has surged. She leads Trump 70% to 23% among likely female voters, according to the poll.

“The shift we are seeing toward Harris is seismic, driven largely by young women,” Anil Cacodcar, chair of the Harvard Public Opinion Project, said in a statement. “Harris is enjoying a perfect storm of personal appeal, policy support, and positive reach on social media.”

Of those who participated in the survey, 56% told Harvard they “definitely” plan to vote in the November election, with the number rising to 72% among registered voters who responded.

According to the poll, social media is playing a significant role for young voters ahead of the election. Fifty-three percent of respondents said they’d encountered memes about Harris online over the last month, with 34% saying it had positively influenced their opinion about the Democratic candidate. Meanwhile, 56% said they’d encountered a meme about Trump, with 26% saying it had a negative impact on their perception of the Republican former president. YouTube and Instagram ranked highest among the platforms used to access news and current events, with 32% and 27% respectively of respondents saying they used the outlets regularly.