Kamala Harris Leads Donald Trump Among Younger Voters, New Poll Reveals

Vice President Kamala Harris holds a significant 12-point lead over former President Donald Trump among voters aged 35 and younger, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS. The poll reveals that Harris garners support from 52% of likely voters in this age group, compared to Trump’s 40%. This represents a tighter race compared to the 2020 election, where President Joe Biden enjoyed a 21-point advantage among the same demographic, according to exit polls.

Despite the lead, Harris faces challenges in rallying youth support as recent surveys indicate fluctuating enthusiasm. Earlier polling suggested Harris struggled to capture the attention of younger voters, but the current poll shows a potential return to more typical voting patterns for Democrats. The data highlights a gender gap, with young female voters preferring Harris over Trump by 53% to 39%, while young male voters remain closely divided. Among registered voters, young women are 15 points more likely than their male counterparts to view Harris positively.

The CNN poll, which surveyed a larger sample of younger voters than usual, indicates Harris holds an even wider margin among voters under 30, leading Trump 55% to 38%. The poll also suggests that younger voters could be a more flexible segment of the electorate, with 19% of likely voters under 35 indicating they are still undecided, compared to just 12% of voters aged 35 and older.

Engagement levels among young registered voters are notably low, with only half stating they feel extremely motivated to vote. Young Trump supporters express even less enthusiasm, being 10 points less likely to report high motivation than their Harris-supporting peers. Gender differences are evident, with young female registered voters more likely to emphasize the importance of their vote.

This demographic has come of age during a politically charged era, with two-thirds reporting that they began following politics during or after the Obama presidency. Their perceptions of Trump’s presidency are overwhelmingly negative—57% consider it a failure—while Biden’s administration garners even harsher criticism, with 67% labeling it a failure. Interestingly, about 30% of young voters who view Biden negatively still plan to support Harris.

As dissatisfaction with political influence grows, 64% of younger voters feel the federal government does not adequately support their needs, with 81% asserting that it does too little for working-class Americans. Despite their concerns, 58% of young voters remain optimistic about the future of the U.S., believing that the nation’s best days are still ahead.

The CNN poll was conducted from September 19-22, 2024, among 2,074 registered voters nationwide, with a focus on ensuring representative sampling among younger voters. The margin of error for likely voters younger than 35 is plus or minus 5.4 percentage points.