New University of Austin Poll Has Statistical Tie in Presidential Match Up

AUSTIN, Texas, October 15, 2024 (Newswire.com) - Today the University of Austin, in partnership with Hunt Research, released its first battleground state poll of the 2024 election, surveying 1,000+ likely Pennsylvania voters. The poll showed a statistical dead heat between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, with Trump up by 1%, within the poll’s margin of error. When Libertarian and Green candidates Chase Oliver and Jill Stein are included, Trump’s lead falls to 0.2%. Other key findings:

• Harris is winning new voters (those with no previous history of voting in a General Election since 2012) by a margin of 51% to 43% and winning low-propensity voters (those with only one or two votes since 2012) 55% to 39%; Trump is winning high-propensity voters (three or more votes since 2012) 53% to 44%.
• Women support Harris 55% to 41% and men support Trump 57% to 39%. Harris leads among voters under 35 by more than two to one and among those 35-49 by 8%; Trump leads by 15% among voters 50-64 and is up 18% with seniors 65+.
• Overall, voters who are middle class, upper middle class or upper class (defined as reporting >$80k annual household income) favor Harris 53% to 44%.

The poll also highlights Pennsylvania voters’ views on education and how their educational background affects their voting trends:

• A plurality of likely voters (49%) do not trust colleges and universities to provide students with an education free of political bias. Overall, 55% of Pennsylvania voters distrust higher education.
• Strong pluralities agree that specific higher ed reforms would increase trust: prohibiting colleges from considering race, ethnicity, religion or gender in admissions (46%), balancing the faculty with conservative and liberal professors (45%), and encouraging students to speak their minds, regardless of whether their views are popular (59%).
• Voters who trust higher education institutions are voting 81% for Harris and 16% for Trump while those who distrust them are voting 76% for Trump and 20% for Harris.
• PA voters with a bachelor’s degree or higher are voting for Harris 56% to 39%, while those who have not attained a bachelor’s degree favor Trump by a similar margin, 57% to 39%.

“Trust in higher education has become a key factor in vote choice. Many Americans have concluded that universities cannot be trusted to provide accurate information or an education free of political bias,” said Morgan Marietta, Dean of Economics, Politics & History at the University of Austin. “Voters support the policies of the new University of Austin as a path toward increasing trust, which is desperately needed in our polarized society.”

The survey was conducted from October 2-7, 2024, surveying 1,037 likely 2024 General Election Voters in Pennsylvania. The survey’s margin of sampling error is +/- 3.04%. 

About UATX: The University of Austin (UATX) is a private, nonsectarian liberal arts university located in Austin, TX. It has established a campus in downtown Austin’s Scarbrough Building and enrolled its first undergraduate cohort in September 2024. UATX seeks to prepare thoughtful and ethical innovators, builders, leaders, public servants, and citizens through open inquiry and civil discourse. You can find more information about UATX here.

About Hunt Research: Hunt Research is a national survey, data analytics, and research firm in Dallas, TX. With survey and modeling experience in all 50 states, HR uses innovative research techniques grounded in sound political theory to measure, understand and guide public opinion.

Source: University of Austin