American election: the highly coveted women’s vote

The two opponents Kamala Harris and Donald Trump faced off in the state of Pennsylvania on Monday as they each held final rallies there and tried to win the crucial women’s vote.

It’s to the rhythm of the lyrics of the song Freedom by Beyoncé that Kamala Harris arrived in front of an impressive crowd waiting for her in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on Monday afternoon.

The Democratic candidate addressed the crowd, emphasizing for one last time before the state’s polling stations opened the importance of “taking the time to tell the people around you to go vote.”

Since the start of her electoral campaign, Kamala Harris has been able to count on the support of influential women, notably Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez and Taylor Swift and this last day was no exception. Oprah and Lady Gaga were in Pennsylvania Monday evening to support the current vice-president, while Katy Perry and Christiana Aguilera respectively gave performances in Philadelphia and Las Vegas.

“It is certain that associating with people of such stature cannot harm, but that is not what will change the situation. What will have an impact is the electoral program and all the work done on the ground,” observes Barry Eidlin, professor of sociology at McGill University.

During her rally, Kamala Harris took the opportunity to remind people that if she were elected, she would fight for all Americans and she highlighted the presence of young people who were voting for the first time by launching “I love Generation Z” and by proclaiming the slogan “We will not go back” in reference, in particular, to women’s reproductive rights and the climate crisis.

Trump also in Pennsylvania

After an initial presence in Raleigh, North Carolina, Donald Trump also headed to Reading and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Monday, before ending his marathon day in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The former American president also chose to promote women’s votes by appearing in front of dozens of women with pink sweaters and posters reading “Women for Trump.”

“It’s just for the image! When we see Trump’s policies, we can quickly see that they are policies that do not address women’s issues,” adds the sociology professor.

Recall that the former American president notably declared during a recent rally that he wanted to “defend women, whether they like it or not,” alluding to the fact that he knew what was best for them.

Furthermore, Kamala Harris’ campaign team warned Monday that the final results of the American presidential election will not be known for “several days” and it warned Donald Trump’s camp against any attempt to “sow doubt and chaos” over the integrity of the election.