As the 2024 presidential campaign reaches its final stretch, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are making a significant effort to engage young voters. They’re leveraging everything from podcasts to celebrity endorsements.

For Harris, these strategies seem to be paying off.

A recent Harvard Youth Poll published on Friday indicated that Harris leads Trump by 20 points among registered voters under 30 across the nation. In the seven swing states – Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Wisconsin – where the contest is more tight, her lead narrows to 9 points.

What might motivate young individuals to cast their votes? The answer could lie in peer pressure. According to the survey, individuals aged 18-29 who believed their friends were planning to vote were more than double as likely to indicate they would vote too.

John Della Volpe, polling director at the Institute of Politics, emphasized that the influence of peers, rather than just the candidates’ political positions, “could significantly affect youth participation” in this election and ultimately the presidency’s outcome.

Young voters are anticipated to greatly influence the closely contested battle for the presidency. This election could hinge on narrow margins in specific states, and participation from key demographic segments could tip the scales.

Both Harris and Trump have aimed their efforts at attracting millennial and Gen Z voters as the campaign draws to a close. Trump has been spotted at popular fight events and on podcasts hosted by influencers like Logan Paul, targeting undecided young men. Meanwhile, Harris has relied on social media campaigns and endorsements from prominent celebrities like Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish to win over young women.

These approaches highlight a significant and widening gender gap.

Earlier this year, when President Joe Biden was running in the 2024 election, he had a nine-point advantage among young women over young men. With Harris now as the Democratic candidate, that gap has grown to 20 points. She currently leads by 10 points among young men and by an impressive 30 points among young women.

This gender gap extends beyond just young voters. In the latest YSL News/Suffolk University survey, it was reported that 53% of women supported Harris, while 53% of men favored Trump.

The Harvard Youth poll also noted that some young men supporting Trump might not be likely to vote at all. The survey revealed that Trump held an 11-point edge among young men who were less inclined to vote, while Harris led among those likely to cast their ballots.

This poll was carried out between October 3 and 14 and surveyed 2,001 Americans aged 18 to 29. The overall margin of error for the total sample was +/- 2.64%. It increased to +/- 3.05% when focusing on registered voters and +/- 3.61% for likely voters.