Voting enthusiasm way up since Harris replaces Biden, poll shows
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Americans, driven by a Democratic surge, are the most enthusiastic about the presidential election in 24 years of Gallup polling.
Why it matters: November's election between Vice President Harris and former President Trump will be close, by polling indications, and could come down to the battleground states.
The latest: Among 1,015 adults polled recently, 69% said they were "more enthusiastic" about voting than usual. That's up from 54% in March, the Gallup poll released Thursday shows.
- Democrats' enthusiasm score is one point shy of the party's high — 79% in February 2008, during the Clinton-Obama primary. The group's score, which includes Democratic-leaning participants, was 55% in March.
- The score for Republicans and GOP-leaning participants is at 64%, up from 59% in the spring.
Context: Harris, the first Black and South Asian American woman to lead a major party ticket, has crept ahead of Trump in three polls after the Democratic National Convention formalized her replacement of President Biden on the ticket.
What they're saying: Gallop senior editor Jeffrey Jones writes: "Biden's decision to stand down as the Democratic nominee amid pressure from high-ranking Democrats preceded a surge in election enthusiasm among the party faithful while raising doubts among Republicans and independents about the process."
- "As a result of elevated election thought and enthusiasm in both parties," Jones later adds, "voter participation could surpass what it was in 2020, when two-thirds of eligible U.S. adults cast ballots, the highest in over 100 years."
Methodology: The poll was conducted among a random sample of 1,015 adults via telephone interviews Aug. 1-20. For the total sample, the margin of error is ±4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. For the sample of 932 registered voters, the margin of error is ±4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
Go deeper: Dems close enthusiasm gap among Latinos
