With only weeks left until the election we’ve been talking to undecided voters to understand what’s really keeping them from backing Kamala Harris. While her campaign has sparked optimism and emotional support, there’s something more complex beneath the surface, especially for Republicans hesitant to vote for Trump but unwilling to switch sides. Our study dives into the less spoken feelings and grievances. We’re still piecing it together, but we can see conflicting narratives, social pressures and even a sense of bullying keeps these voters on the fence, as well as those who may be leaning toward not voting at all.
Our approach also revealed a more thoughtful, nuanced and kind voter, that’s surprisingly optimistic for the nation, despite personal fears around the economy. We’re sharing these few snippets in the aim of starting a conversation and opening up the analysis to a broader group. If you’d like to get involved, let us know. We’ll of course be sharing our full report when it’s published - and you can sign up for that here.
Imagine you've just voted and you voted for Trump. Write a letter to the Harris campaign stating why you feel they didn't meet the grade. What did they fall short on? Where didn't they hear you enough? Allow yourself to truly express the depths of your feelings and how you felt in making your decision.
Dear Kamala,
I am sorry I couldn’t vote for you this round, I really did want to though. But there were too many short falls and you also angered me terribly. I like you and respect you and your background but you didn’t consider touching base on the chronic disease epidemic effecting society or the part major food and pharmaceutical companies play in it. It’s slowly killing me and hurting and killing others. I only have one life. There is no do over. I was very upset about what your party did to Kennedy. You put me in a horrible position where I had to choose a party of a double standard or a party I dislike just because you didn’t allow Kennedy to join yours. If Kennedy had walked away of his own accord without what the left did to him, there would have been a huge chance I would have voted for you. I also feel that as much as I supported the woke movement in the beginning, it has gone too far and is pushing both sides further from each other and closer to civil unrest. Of course everyone should be supported but not to the point of obsession. It would have made more sense to spread that support to all people needing it, no matter what race, what religion, what anything. You could have added the impoverished and homeless easily into that movement and I’m not talking by ways of jealousy like you are, pushing people to think we should bluntly take from the rich but in ways that reduce the stigma and increase options for us. I also couldnt vote for someone who claims they are saving democracy but trampled on our rights. Free speech doesn’t only include my right to speak and be heard, it also includes my right to hear others. Any ban on supposed misinformation gives people like you the right to control information which is dangerous. I also wish you had spoken more about options to reduce abortion without reducing the right to choose. I commend you for standing up for my right as a woman to choose but shouldn’t there be restrictions on the line between a woman’s choice and a child’s right to live. Where is the cut off? You never said. I wish you took the time to stand up more for the forgotten class as much as you have for the middle class. If you had gone out and asked people like me what our lives are like and what could improve, that could have made the difference. Throwing money at it won’t fix it. Anyways, I hope you run again with new considerations. I would love to see a woman of color representing the US for a change. In the mean time, I hope you consider what a terrible spot you put me in by ultimately taking away my choice to vote for Kennedy because before you had done that, it was a choice between you and him.
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Dear Kamala,
I am sorry that I had to vote against you but I had to go with my gut on who would be the better leader for our country. I may not like Trump but at least I could afford to live day to day when he was in office before. But since u and ole Joe have been in office I've lost my house my car and am having to live in government subsidized housing just so I'm not homeless. That isn't the America that neither I not my fellow Americans want. You talked a big game but it didn't quite deliver the proof of the last 4 yrs.'
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Dear Kamala,
There are people in the world called “yes men”. They say “yes” to everything no matter the consequences or the cost. You, unfortunately have been labeled as one of those. Take time to assert your beliefs and stances even if they are against the norm. At least people can use a litmus test of where rather than labeling you the lesser of the two evils.