" It ’s so disheartening that people conceive of the South as full of bigoted , feebleminded voters who only support conservative politics . I acknowledge so many people from my hometown who are appal by Donald Trump and are defend to do all they can to restore rights . "
Hello, everyone! With 69 days until Election Day, we’re back for another round ofBuzzFeed’s 2024 Election Diaries!
This weekly series highlight unlike groups of voter nationwide to find out what political issues are most of import to them AND who they plan to support for president in 2024 .
People living in eight swing states will likely decide which candidate wins the 2024 election —Kamala HarrisorDonald Trump. So, weasked people fromGeorgia, North Carolina, Arizona, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesotato share their top political issues and who they plan to support.
We received hundreds of responses from swing state voters, and ourpollfound that 83.5% of respondents plan to vote for Kamala Harris andTim Walz.
14.2% expressed support for Donald Trump and J.D. Vance.
Whether you agree with their political opinions or not, here’s what 24 swing state voters had to say anonymously:
All images are AI - generated .
1.“To be honest, I’d vote for anyone running against Trump. He is the absolute worst thing to happen to this country. However, I am really excited that the nominee is now Kamala Harris. I wasn’t a fan of Biden, mostly because of his age and his stance on Palestine, but I would’ve voted for him regardless.”
2.“Gun safety is my top concern this election. I’m voting for Kamala so that I can feel good about sending my son to kindergarten. Gun violence is the leading cause of death in his age group, and she is the only candidate willing to do something about it. I want my son to graduate safely.”
3.“I’m tired of the LGBTQ+ and drag stuff being brought up in schools. Leave our children alone. I also don’t think Kamala has any idea what she is doing, and no one voted for her to begin with.”
4.“I voted for Trump in his first election but realized my mistake after watching the train wreck of the past few years with him. I now cannot even stomach listening to him talk, and I seriously question how anyone could possibly still be taking him seriously. When he bragged about helping to take downRoe v. Wade, that was the tipping point for me.”
5.“I’m voting for Harris to stopProject 2025. Kamala has a track record of being a fearless, joyful warrior. She seems fair, level-headed, passionate, and fucking intelligent. She is loved genuinely by her family and friends — their love I can feel through the screen at the DNC. She is unafraid to stand up to bullies and wants to do what is best for America and Americans. All of us.”
6.“As a parent, I cannot support any candidate who would work to take away my daughter’s rights and bodily autonomy. I cannot vote for someone who is openly disrespectful to and clearly hates women as a gender and the LGBTQ+ community.”
7.“The genocide in Palestine is my top issue this election. Our Democratic leaders have funded and cheered on the slaughtering of children (for decades, let’s be real, but on a much more prominent scale since last year). Genocide is a red line for me. I cannot in good conscience vote for a member of a party who continues to enable it. That is unconscionable at its core.”
8.“I’m most worried about education. Harris doesn’t want to destroy public education.NC is already so gerrymanderedthat our state is basically fucked, but I’m hopeful that she can prevent the same from happening to our nation. The Republican agenda for education is sickening.”
9.“I’m most concerned with the lack of border control. I just don’t trust the current Democrats in office. Not that the Republicans are any better, but we need a change. Also, I didn’t like how Walz handled the protests in Minneapolis in 2020 or how he handled COVID-19.”
10.“Healthcare access and abortion are a priority to me. I’m voting for Kamala because she is a well-spoken, well-educated, law-abiding citizen whose policies and platforms are ones I can stand behind and still sleep at night.”
11.“My kid’s future is most important to me, so the choice is an absolute no-brainer. I’m an independent, but Kamala is the only choice. She’s even-keeled, positive, and wants to move our country forward.”
12.“I think both options suck, but times were better under Trump. I feel likeHarris hasn’t done much as VP, which worries me once she becomes president.”
13.“I disagree with almost everything Trump stands for. As someone once registered as a Republican, I think he is a disgrace. Also, it is time to stop treating people as disposable and ensure healthcare for the middle class, who are the people in the bubble of not qualifying and can’t afford it.”
14.“As a childfree-by-choice woman, why would I support the campaign that openly insults me, doesn’t think I should exist, and wants to strip me of the freedoms that would help me stay that way? It would be doing me and every woman like me the greatest disservice. I am looking forward to voting for Kamala Harris this year.”
15.“I have no idea who I’ll vote for. I grew up in a HIGHLY conservative household and very religious, so with the last election, I voted the way my family wanted. Now, as an adult and an RN in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, I have my own formed opinions. This country is going downhill, but I don’t think either candidate is the right one to get out of the mess we’re in."
16.“Taxes and the cost of living are my top issues. Being 18 and going off on your own as a young adult is nearly impossible; there are barely any jobs that will pay 18-year-olds enough to live on their own. You’re also screwed if your parents won’t help with paying for college. The economy needs help, and Trump knows how to do that.”
17.“I want my daughter to have the right to choose what’s best for her related to healthcare. At this rate, she won’t have much choice if we elect Trump again.”
18.“Reproductive rights and LGBTQ+ rights are very important to me. It has been so terrifying being in the South and watching politicians threaten my communities. They are enacting policies that aren’t actually popular and, if left up to a vote by the people, would not pass.”
19.“I really don’t like either candidate. The only improvement Kamala Harris has onJoe Bidenis that she is younger, but I don’t like a lot of her policies (assuming they are similar to Biden’s, as she has yet to release an official policy stance). I tend to be in favor of more state rights rather than a large federal government, which her policies favor."
20.“Inflation is my top issue right now. I’m voting for Trump because when he was president, prices were down, and the world was at peace. Harris is part of the current administration that has increased prices and made America expensive.Kamala’s plan is to fight price gougingand have it controlled by the government. I think this is the beginning of a socialist government where it could be the end of freedom.”
21.“Preserving democracy is my top issue. I’m voting for Kamala Harris because she’s inspiring, hopeful, and represents American traditions and values, such as women’s right to bodily autonomy and the right of everybody to have a voice, regardless of race, sex, creed, sexuality, or gender identity.”
22.“Inflation is my #1 issue. I am supporting Donald Trump because I believe the current administration is spending too much money on social programs.”
23.“Donald Trump radicalized me. I was raised to vote Republican. My parents are evangelicals and staunch red voters, and I was homeschooled most of my life to keep me from mixing too much with ‘the world.’ Back in 2016, I cast my vote for Clinton because I couldn’t believe the hatred and vitriol coming from Trump and his followers. In 2020, it was Biden. And, of course, this year, it will be Harris.”
And finally…
24.“The economy is my #1 issue right now. I’ve voted for Republicans and Democrats, but I will never vote for Donald Trump because he is the opposite of everything I believe a president should be. I was begrudgingly going to vote for Biden but was decidedly not thrilled. Kamala has breathed some fresh energy into the election.”
