Young voters prefer President Joe Biden over ex-President Donald Trump, according to a new poll.
What Happened: Of the 2,010 participants surveyed by the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School, 45% of 18 to 29-year-olds prefer Biden, while 37% picked Trump.
Sixteen percent of respondents were undecided.
Of those polled, 53% said they were definitely voting in the 2024 election. That’s on par with the same time period of the 2020 election poll.
See Also: GOP Mega Donor’s Son Throws Support Behind Incumbent President In Biden Vs. Trump Battle
Biden's lead over Trump was significant in several categories, including:
- Ages 18-29 (+14 points higher)
- Women (+33 points)
- College students (+23 points)
- College graduates (+47 points).
Trump trails Biden by six points among male voters, which was better than the overall poll.
The poll also found that among respondents who would vote Trump, 76% said they enthusiastically support the candidate, compared to 44% strong support for people backing Biden.
Given the option of third-party and Independent candidates, voters chose:
- Biden: 28%
- Trump: 25%
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: 11%
- Jill Stein: 4%
- Cornel West: 3%
- Don't Know: 28%
Related Link: Trump Vs. Biden – Former President Retakes Lead In 2024 Election Poll, Which Candidate Do Independent Voters Support?
Why It's Important: The poll, conducted from March 14 to March 21, came before the start of Trump's hush money criminal trial.
The survey asked young voters how a guilty verdict for Trump in any of his upcoming trials could impact their vote.
Biden's lead grew from eight points to 18 points among all voters if Trump is found guilty.
Among young people likely to vote, Biden's lead grew from 19 points to 28 points if Trump is found guilty.
Key issues for young voters are the economy, immigration and foreign policy. The survey found that only 9% of potential young voters believe the country is headed in the right direction. This compares to 21% who answered this in the spring 2020 election survey.
On the flip side, 58% of respondents said the country is off on the wrong track moving forward, which could be a worry for Biden's campaign.
"Young people today have clear concerns about where our country is headed," said IOP Director Setti Warren. "From worries about the economy, foreign policy, immigration, and climate, young people across the country are paying attention and are increasingly prepared to make their voices heard at the ballot box this November."
A recent poll from Morning Consult of registered voters aged 18 to 34 found a much closer race with Biden and Trump each getting 41% of the vote and the remaining picking "Someone Else" or "Don't Know."
According to Statista, 55% of voters aged 18-29 voted in the 2020 election, which marked a significant increase from the 44% who turned out for the 2016 election. The peak voter turnout for the youth was 55.4% in 1972.
Biden won the 2020 election, while Trump won the 2016 election.
Younger voters have often voted Democratic, with a Politico report saying the last Republican to win the youth vote was George H. W. Bush in 1988. Since that time, there have been eight presidential elections. Democrats won five of the eight last elections.
In an election expected to be close, the youth vote could be more important than ever in deciding the winner.
Image: Shutterstock
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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