US Vice President Kamala Harris (left) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on August 20, 2024 and former US President Donald Trump in Bedminster, New Jersey on August 15, 2024.
In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Unites States
As Americans vote for their next President today, Tuesday, November 5, 2024, the usual dividing line is often that of the party: Democrats vs Republicans. But other issues could play a critical role in the minds of voters who choose either Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump.
Several opinion polls indicate that the 2024 US election remains the tightest race between the two presidential candidates Harris and Trump.
Still, seven major issues might influence the country's vote. Polls have shown that, on average, 41 percent will consider the economy, 21 percent will protect democracy, and 12 percent will consider immigration policies.
Other issues like reproductive rights (11 percent), health care (six percent), climate change (three percent) and foreign policy at two percent are also useful.
With regard to the state of the economy, inflation has come down dramatically from its peak of nine percent in June 2022, now at three percent, and food price inflation is just over two percent, according to the latest official figures.
Both candidates say they will address high prices. Republican candidate Donald Trump promises to ensure prices go down, while Democratic candidate Kamala Harris advocates a federal government ban on price gouging on food and groceries.
Democracy
When it comes to protecting democracy, the 2016 and 2020 elections come to the fore with Trump coming in sharp focus. During the 2016 elections, Hillary Clinton who won the popular vote but lost the electoral college to Trump raised concerns about rigging with Russia being accused of interfering with the election.
In 2020, after losing to President Joe Biden, then-incumbent Trump vehemently rejected the results, leading a series of protests whose climax was the chaotic events of the January 6, 2021 insurrection when he addressed his supporters who stormed Capitol Hill in Washington DC in what was seen as an attempted coup, two months after his defeat.
As a consequence, he unceremoniously left the white house refusing to hand over to his successor Biden the 46th President. Some 21 percent of the voters are said to be keen the issue of protecting democracy of the world’s freest country which piles pressure on the Republican candidate who continues to push his “Make America Great Again” slogan.
Sides picked
Republican former Vice President Dick Cheney has declared his vote will go to Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris over Trump.
Some Republicans are not happy with his control over their party and his actions have thrown weight and support behind Harris, including several former senior staffers of former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush.
Former Congress-woman Liz Cheney, a Republican but now another harsh critic of the party candidate, has taken sides with Harris.
“In our nation’s 248-year history, there has never been an individual who is a greater to our republic than Donald Trump” Cheney had said on September 6, 2024. “As citizens, we have a duty to put country above partisanship to defend our constitution. That is why I will be casting my vote for Vice President Kamala Harris.”
In response through a social media post, Trump called the Cheneys (Liz and Dick) “irrelevant RINO” (Republicans in Name Only) using a term he refers to Republicans opposed to him.
Immigration
Some 12 percent of the registered voters are believed to be keen on matters of immigration. US boarder policy remains a key electoral issue for both candidates with some polls indicating that 77 percent of Americans believe the Southern border is experiencing either an ongoing crisis or is a major problem.
At least 53 percent are said to support the expansion of the boarder wall and 63 percent would support the President temporarily closing the boarder to asylum seekers when the boarder is overwhelmed.
Trump has promised to carry out what he calls the largest deportation operation should he find his way back to the Oval Office targeting undocumented immigrants.
America’s foreign policy will also be a big issue. Middle East crisis shadow in Gaza is a crucial matter that has both candidates gasping for breath on pronouncements to commit.
Iran’s increasing direct involvement with Israel a key and dependable ally of the us could make the middle east conflict a higher priority issue for American voters, particularly in Michigan which is one of the battleground states and has the highest concentration of Arab Americans.
