By Mia Gonzales
Former US President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are running neck and neck in the race for the White House, each appealing to distinct voter segments. As the elections approach, both candidates continue to promote their agendas strongly bringing up various key issues in the eye of the discussion. What the final days will bring, remains uncertain. Let’s dive into the current streams.
Abortion Rights
Abortion remains one of the most polarizing issues for voters in the US, that has been shaping the political landscape. Namely, Harris has used abortion rights as a central component of her campaign, and she continues to push for legislation that would strengthen reproductive rights throughout the nation. She underlines that women’s access to safe, legal abortions is a matter of personal freedom and essential healthcare, often highlighting the potential consequences of restricted access in marginalized communities.
Trump, on the other hand, has been struggling to articulate a strong and consistent message on abortion in his campaign, which has raised many questions for his supporters. His legacy, however, includes the appointment of three conservative justices to the Supreme Court, during the time he was President, who were the key figures in the process of overturning the constitutional right to an abortion which has been in place since 1973 (a ruling that is also known as Roe v. Wade).
As a result, abortion rights have become a defining issue in state and national elections, dividing voters into two streams - ones that are moving to protect, and others that want to impose significant restrictions and bans. These contrasting stances illustrate the broader national debate, as Americans grapple with questions of personal autonomy, state authority, and the implications of reproductive healthcare on society as a whole.
Swing States
Swing states, or as many like to call them, battleground states, are the ones that can actually sway the outcome of a national election.
This year, the states with ambiguous political leanings are Georgia, Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. And they have become a hot topic, especially for bookies and bettors who want to explore a variety of odds regarding the 2024 US Presidential Election, as well as specific vote share predictions for each of the candidates.
At the moment, Harris and Trump are in a narrow race in all the pivotal states, adding extra intrigue to predicting which candidate might secure the edge in the final outcome. And this is the outcome that can change everything.
Gen Z
Apparently, a noticeable gender divide among Gen Z voters could also impact the final results. According to the polls, young women are largely leaning left, giving support to Kamala Harris, while more and more young men continue to back up Donald Trump. Trump has already invested plenty of time on social media, interacting with young influencers from the worlds of cryptocurrency and kickboxing, and he is unlikely to stop making an effort to capture more Gen Z votes.
This leaves Harris forced to fight Donald Trump hard to keep her much-needed portion of this voter category, even though the youth still tends to be in favor of the Democratic Party.
Climate
It is well-known that Kamala Harris helped pass the Inflation Reduction Act as vice president, thus funneling hundreds of billions to renewable energy, as well as electric vehicle tax and rebate programs. However, she has also dropped her opposition to fracking, which is a technique used for recovering gas and oil that is strongly opposed by environmentalists.
During his time in the White House, Trump issued many environmental protections, including limits on carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles and power plants. But Trump has also already vowed to expand Arctic drilling and still stands strongly opposed to the use of electric cars.
Taxes
Kamala Harris claims she is looking to raise taxes on big businesses and Americans who are making more than $400,000 a year. Furthermore, Harris has also announced several measures such as an expansion of child tax credits, all designed to ease the tax burden on families. She objected to Biden over capital gains tax, supporting a quite moderate rise from 23.6% to 28%, as opposed to his 44.6%.
Donald Trump has also scored points through his attitude toward taxes, and he even proposed many cuts worth trillions of dollars. Those include an extension of his cuts from 2017 that were mostly beneficial to wealthy citizens. As for the losses in government funds, he expects to have them paid for through higher growth and tariffs on imports.
Guns
Harris is keeping gun violence prevention as a key pledge of her campaign. In fact, she and Tim Waltz, both owners of guns, frequently advocate publicly for tighter gun laws. Of course, they will have to recognize the fact that moves like banning assault weapons or expanding background checks will have to be supported by Congress. On the contrary, Trump has positioned himself as a staunch defender of the Second Amendment, also known as the constitutional right to bear arms.
As the US Presidential Election date approaches, the stats keep narrowing the gap between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump closer together. They each have their strong and weak points, with voter opinions shaped by issues like taxes, abortion rights, gun ownership, and the popularity among Gen Z. These factors will play a main role in the final days of the race, and the outcome remains uncertain as the nation awaits its next leader.
