A notable decline in American support for a female president has been noted, the latest Times/SAY24 poll from YouGov revealed. Since 2015, the number of voters willing to elect a woman to the highest office has dropped by nine percentage points.
The survey, conducted after President Biden exited the race, aimed to gauge the electorate’s views on gender bias and Vice President Harris‘s prospects in the upcoming , according to The Hill.
The poll shows that while 49 per cent of respondents consider both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris equally qualified for the presidency, a significant 54 per cent are ready for a female president, down from 63 per cent in 2015.
The earlier survey, conducted shortly after Hillary Clinton declared her candidacy and before she secured the first major party presidential nomination by a woman, reflected higher readiness for a female leader.
The poll highlights a persistent gender bias, with 41 per cent of Americans believing that many voters would not support a woman over a man if both were equally qualified. This skepticism extends to the Democratic Party as well. While 77 per cent of Democrats believe the country is ready for a woman president, 37 per cent fear that their fellow Americans would not vote for an equally qualified woman. This concern has led 35 percent of Democrats to suggest that Harris should select a male running mate, compared to just 6 per cent advocating for another woman.
Among potential running mates, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer was the most favorably rated Democrat at 27 per cent, though she has since withdrawn from consideration to support Harris’s campaign as a co-chair. Former astronaut Senator Mark Kelly and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro also emerged as strong contenders, each receiving 22 per cent support.
The poll, conducted on Tuesday and Wednesday among 1,170 registered US voters, has a margin of error of 3 per cent, underscoring ongoing concerns about gender bias in presidential elections.