A recent NBC News Stay Tuned Gen Z Poll, powered by SurveyMonkey, reveals Vice President Kamala Harris holds a notable lead over former President Donald Trump among registered voters under 30.
The poll shows Harris leading Trump 56%-36% among young voters who plan to participate in the November 2024 election. While this advantage mirrors the margin President Joe Biden enjoyed in 2020, the poll exposes a significant gender gap among Generation Z voters.
Among young women, Harris holds a commanding 33-point lead over Trump. However, the male vote is much more divided, with Harris narrowly edging Trump by just 2 points, NBC News reported.
This split in support is also reflected in voters’ perceptions of the temperament of each candidate.
Nearly two-thirds of women believe Harris has the right temperament to serve as president, compared to 55% of men. Conversely, men are more likely than women to think Trump is fit for office, with 46% of men supporting his temperament, versus only 30% of women.
Key issues driving these voters also differ by gender.
Inflation and the cost of living were the most important issues for both men and women, but the second-most important issues diverged. For women, abortion policy emerged as a significant concern, with 13% ranking it as a top priority, compared to just 4% of men. Meanwhile, more men (13%) cited threats to democracy as their primary issue, compared to 9% of women.
The poll also highlights how Gen Z voters weigh opinions from friends and family more heavily than endorsements from celebrities or political figures.
Nearly half of the respondents said the opinions of close relations would influence their vote, while only 11% said a celebrity endorsement, such as Taylor Swift’s support for Harris or Elon Musk’s support for Trump, would sway their decision. In fact, celebrity endorsements could potentially backfire, with some voters saying such endorsements made them less likely to vote for that candidate.
Another revealing aspect of the poll is how relationships may be strained due to political differences.
Sixty percent of Gen Z voters supporting Harris said they would have difficulty maintaining a friendship with a Trump supporter. On the flip side, only about a quarter of Trump supporters said a friend’s support for Harris would negatively impact their relationship.
The overall sentiment among young voters is one of pessimism about the economy and the direction of the country. Only 19% believe the economy is better now than it was a year ago, and a vast majority, 77%, say the country is headed in the wrong direction. This dissatisfaction reflects a broader concern that may influence how Gen Z voters cast their ballots in the upcoming election.
Assistance from artificial intelligence was used in creating this article.