Undecided Voters Spoke Out About How Recent Events May Have Changed Their Minds
The 2024 Presidential election will be one for the history books. Nearly four years removed from January 6th, Trump is back in the race alongside his running mate, J.D. Vance.
Meanwhile, Joe Biden finally realized that leaving the Oval Office was in the country's best interest. As a result, he's nominated Kamala Harris as his successor of the Democratic Party, with Tim Walz as her running mate. The Harris-Walz ticket has shifted the dynamics of this race.
We recently asked the undecided voters of the BuzzFeed Community to chime in with their thoughts on the recent developments and whether they changed their minds about the election. Here's what they said:
Note: Not all submissions are from the BuzzFeed Community. Some are from this Reddit thread and this Reddit thread.
1."These last few weeks have further solidified my decision."
"People don’t believe Harris can win because of what happened with Clinton in 2016. Let’s be honest, though; a lot has changed in eight years. We have her already in office as our VP. Is it really that big of a stretch to vote her into the presidency? Not even a little. I’m optimistic Harris is our next POTUS."
2."Donald Trump is totally unfit to pick up garbage, much less be President of the US again. I don’t believe our country could ever recover from his tenure."
3."It has not changed my vote one bit, but it has taken me from slightly uneasy, to energized and grateful."
4."My vote is going to the Trump ticket."
"Switching out Biden for Kamala simply takes their candidate from one type of horrible to another. If a different person had been nominated by the DNC, and the media had been and would be more honest in their news coverage, then there’s a fair chance it would have swayed my vote, but as it stands, I cannot vote for a Harris presidency."
5."As a conservative who’s increasingly tempted towards Harris, the biggest issue keeping me from voting for her is abortion."
"I’m firmly pro-life, and Harris and Walz, from what I’ve seen, appear to be adamantly pro-abortion. If voting for Harris means abortion will be enshrined in law, then I cannot, in good faith, vote for her. What I would want to see from Harris is either a moderate policy promise regarding abortion or showing she’d at least be willing to compromise with pro-lifers like myself."
6."I've been an RFK fan through and through."
"I don't entirely like the idea of a felon or someone that the American people didn't get to choose (because I guess America being OUR country doesn't suit whatever agenda that they have) being the president."
–Anonymous, 32
7."Very much on Harris’s side now."
"I was refusing to vote for either Biden or Trump due to their ages, but the Harris/Walz combo is winning me over."
–Anonymous, Michigan, 32
8."A few months ago, I had zero hope in this election."
"Over the past few weeks, I've seen Donald Trump on the verge of collapse, especially due to J.D. Vance. It's actually pitiful. Meanwhile, Kamala Harris picking Tim Walz is a delight. He's got 'Big Dad' energy and he's just an overall good man. As a queer, non-gender conforming person, I absolutely adore him and what he's done for the state of Minnesota. I'm more confident in my vote for Harris now."
–Anonymous, Kentucky, 31
9."I have voted third party in the past two elections."
"This year, I don't like a single candidate. Truly, there is not a single good option. As much as I hate, and I mean HATE, the choices, I'm leaning toward voting for Trump. I don't know how the Republican party let it get this far, but he's the only candidate that claims to support the issues that are most important to me."
–Anonymous, 43
10."I need to see the debate. I’m trying to decide which issues are more important to me - economically, I agree more with the Republicans, and socially, I agree more with the Democrats. I am leaning towards Harris at the time, although I need to see her debate her economic policy with Trump to make a final decision. I don’t want to see a continuation of Biden's policy economically. If I can see she has a stronger plan, then that will seal the deal."
11."While I vote every year, I do not necessarily cast a vote for every race. This was going to be another one of those years."
"Neither Biden nor Trump can be trusted with the most powerful office in the world, and Kennedy is just there to be a spoiler. Harris changes the equation. I'm not sure if she will get my vote; I still need to learn more about her plans for the country's future. I'm no longer in the 'I'm not voting for president.' I'm now in the 'maybe I'll vote for president.'"
–Anonymous, New York, 45
12."I'm not voting for either one of them because they're two sides of the same coin."
13."Project 2025 is all you need to know. The Trump/Vance ticket will take America back in time. Something like King Henry VIII, God forbid."
14."I'm still undecided but leaning heavily towards Harris after I saw her housing plan. It's not perfect but it's mostly good. We need it."
15."Was a Biden voter in 2020. Will be voting Trump this election."
"Inflation is too high, the border is a mess, we are the closest to WWIII in my lifetime, and all I hear from the Democrats is the same old story. I feel like the media is gaslighting all of us. As much as I hate Trump, I feel he is the lesser of two evils."
–Anonymous, 37
16."No change since October. In solidarity with Palestine, I will be leaving my presidential ballot blank (before you come for me, my state will be blue all the way)."
17."I’m not in a swing state, and if I were, I’d probably just vote for Harris. My 'undecided' isn’t between Harris and Trump; it’s between Harris and staying home."
"As it stands, I’m waiting to see if she makes GND and M4A part of her platform (things she’s previously supported). So far, she’s not really running on anything other than vague statements. If that continues, there’s really no reason for me to vote for her. If she starts campaigning on things I actually care about, it’s worth showing my support even though my vote really doesn’t matter as far as the EC goes."
H/T: r/AskReddit & r/PoliticalDebate
Note: Submissions have been edited for length/clarity.
