Harris bets on women and young voters in campaign’s final sprint

More than 31 million Americans have already cast their ballots in a presidential race that at times feels like it will never end. Both campaigns are now sifting through the early return data with the hope of better understanding how crucial swing state voters will behave on Election Day.

For now, those early voting numbers favor Democrats by the slightest of margins, with 43% of early ballots submitted by registered Democrats compared to just 39% for registered Republicans. But drawing insight from early voting is a risky proposition, especially when Election Day turnout remains a significant unknown. That hasn’t stopped the Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign from touting their above-average performance among two key demographics: women and younger voters.

The campaign has been open about the fact that rallying women and young people is a critical element of the Democratic nominee’s victory strategy. Here’s what the data tells us right now, and what it could mean for both candidates as the presidential contest races to a conclusion on Nov. 5.