Vice President Kamala Harris is currently beating former President Donald Trump by a 12-point lead among voters under 35, a group that feels mainly disgruntled with its political impact but remains hopeful about the future, according to new CNN polling by SSRS. Harris leads Trump 52% to 40% among these younger likely voters, a tighter race compared to 2020, when President Joe Biden led by 21 points among this same age group, according to exit polls. However, this result signals a return to more typical voting trends, after earlier polls this year showed Biden struggling to galvanize young voters for a second term.
A significant gender gap persists within this group, mirroring broader voting patterns. Women under 35 favor Harris over Trump by 53% to 39%, while male voters are more closely split. Among registered voters, young women are also 15 points more likely than men to have a favorable view of Harris.
Polling on young voters’ preferences has fluctuated throughout the year but recent data shows younger voters returning to favor the Democratic nominee with Harris on the ticket, the extent of her lead varies by poll. For instance, national surveys in recent days show her margin among younger voters ranging from a narrow Harris +3 (Quinnipiac, for voters 18 to 34) to a broader Harris +32 (Harvard Institute of Politics, for voters 18 to 29). CNN’s latest poll, which included a larger sample of younger voters, shows Harris leading 55% to 38% among those under 30, slightly more than her margin among voters aged 18 to 34.
In an otherwise highly partisan race, young voters appear to be one of the more undecided segments of the electorate. Nineteen percent of likely voters under 35 say they haven’t fully made up their minds, compared to just 12% among those 35 and older. Additionally, turnout remains uncertain, with only about half of young registered voters saying they are highly motivated to vote or that they consider their vote extremely important—numbers much lower than those of older groups. Young Harris supporters are 10 points more likely than young Trump supporters to describe themselves as highly motivated to vote.
This younger generation of voters has largely come of age in a unique political landscape. Two-thirds of voters under 35 said they first became politically aware during or after the Obama presidency, with a smaller fraction recalling only the Trump years. Their assessment of Trump’s presidency is largely negative—57% consider it a failure, a higher percentage than any other age group. However, they are even more critical of Biden’s administration, with 67% labeling it a failure. Notably, around 30% of young voters who view Biden negatively still plan to vote for Harris, a higher proportion than disaffected voters of other age groups.
Trump’s approval among young registered voters remains low, with only 34% holding a favorable opinion of him, while Harris receives more mixed ratings—47% view her favorably, 45% unfavorably. Around 51% of young voters say Trump has worsened their view of the GOP, nearly double the 27% who say he improved it. However, young Republicans are more likely than their older counterparts to view Trump positively, with 66% of Republicans under 35 saying Trump has improved their perception of the party, compared to 51% of those over 35.
The CNN poll was conducted online and by phone between September 19-22, 2024, among 2,074 registered voters nationwide, with an oversample of 624 voters under 35. The margin of error for the full sample is ±3 points, and for younger voters, it is ±5.6 points.
