The upcoming 2024 presidential election will occur on November 5th, 2024. It seems to be very important to adults, but what about students in high school? To understand student perspectives, a poll was conducted, asking students two main questions: who do you want to win this election, and who do you think is more likely to win?

For context, Donald Trump is a Republican who served as President for four years in 2016 to 2020. His policies reflect his conservative and isolationist beliefs. He has gathered strong support from Evangelical Christians, Catholics, and Jewish communities.

Kamala Harris, his Democratic opponent, is running on a platform that reflects liberal values. Her campaign supports abortion rights, LGBT rights, and she has support from feminists, environmentalists, and LGBT  communities.

Question #1: Who do you want to win this election? 

In response to this question, 62.5% of students polled expressed support for  Kamala Harris. Students cited her policies and calm demeanor as factors for their choice, with one respondent noting “I like her due to her policies, what she has to offer to the country. Seems promising, way more calm and tame compared to Trump.” Others said that they wanted a “female president,” and that the country is “controlled by white men.” Others supported her because she would “…work on infrastructure, cutting taxes for the middle class, and climate change.”

Many people who selected Trump on this question didn’t seem to be actual supporters of him, but indicated alignment with certain Republican views, preferring him over Harris. One person who said they supported Trump said “I don’t exactly support him, but he seems to have had a better economy from 2016-2020, and I support gun rights.”

Question #2: Who do you think is more likely to win?

In response to this question, 69% of respondents (including those who said they supported Harris) said they believed Trump was more likely to win. Some students noted his growing support base, especially among religious groups, as a factor. One polled student said, “I have seen more people who said they support Trump than Harris.” Even though there are many more Kamala supporters, many students believe Trump will win the presidency.

As the election date approaches, students won’t know the winner until November 5th. Who do you think will win?