A new Inside Higher Ed Student Voice flash survey conducted in partnership with Generation Lab offers insights into the voting behaviors and preferences of college students across the United States. The survey, conducted last month, involved responses from 1,012 college students. The publication says the results have a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percent, showing that college students lean towards Kamala Harris.
The survey primarily aimed to understand students’ political affiliations and voting intentions as the 2024 presidential election approaches, now less than three weeks away. Among the key findings, Vice President Kamala Harris holds a 38-point lead over former President Donald Trump within this demographic. Respondents identified reproductive rights, environmental concerns, and crime/safety as the top three issues influencing their vote.
Another important aspect of the survey was students’ voting logistics. Students were asked if they planned to vote in their college district or the district where they permanently reside, as well as why they made that decision. Swing state dynamics play a role here, as students living in swing states were 11 percentage points more likely than those in non-swing states to vote where they attend school, recognizing the greater effect their vote may have.
An interesting and significant trend emerged regarding racial differences. Black students were less likely to vote in their college district compared to other racial groups. Over twice as many black respondents said they are more knowledgeable about the politics in their home communities, and “by a wide margin,” black students expressed a stronger desire to influence political outcomes in their home regions.
This trend may partly be explained by the influence of parents. Students from blue states studying in swing states are being encouraged by their parents to vote in their college’s district to help sway election outcomes. As the College Fix highlights, “Parents from states like New York and Illinois are urging their kids enrolled at Georgia Tech to register to vote in Georgia for the upcoming presidential election.”
One notable omission in the survey was whether it differentiated students by academic background, geographic location, or other factors influencing voting patterns. Including such data would have allowed for a deeper analysis of how various student subgroups approach the election.
As such, Rob Jenkins—associate professor of English at Georgia State University – Perimeter College, a Higher Education Fellow at Campus Reform, and a Minding the Campus contributor—commented on the findings, stating:
My first thought when I read this was that it’s a big nothingburger. So what? It’s well-documented that Harris does best among single women, and women outnumber men in college by about 60-40–roughly the same margin this article cites in favor of Harris. We also know, as the article itself acknowledges, that people in the college age bracket lean toward Harris. There’s no surprise here, much less some kind of bombshell that’s going to affect the election. It’s like reporting that childless cat ladies are voting for Harris, 70-30. Well, duh. All of this is already baked in.
He further predicted that, “college student turnout in this election will be less than expected. Between a growing conservative movement on campus and the anti-Israel faction that views the Democrats as part of the problem, I just don’t see that much enthusiasm for Harris among college kids.”
Whether Inside Higher Ed’s optimism about voter turnout is warranted or Jenkins’s skepticism proves true, we won’t have to wait long to find out.
Editor’s Note: Inside Higher Ed was contacted to comment on its methodology but did not respond in time for publication.
Image created by Jared Gould using assets from Gage Skidmore’s Trump photo on Wikimedia Commons and his Harris photo on Flickr, with a background by Darren Baker. Source: Adobe Stock, Asset ID# 822032516.
