Deakin University researchers have today launched an online poll to find out who the world's citizens would vote to be the next president of the United States.
The You Say We Say poll posted to Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) is open to participants from across the globe with the goal of exploring public opinion about the 2024 United States presidential election.
Participants are asked who they think will be elected to be the 47th US president and who they prefer to win. They are given a choice out of Republican nominee Donald Trump and Democrat candidate Kamala Harris.
Participants are also asked how important each candidate's perceived character and policy stance is to their decision, and the policy issues that matter to them.
Associate Professor Zim Nwokora of Deakin's Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation is co-running the poll and the associated research project and will provide ongoing analysis of polling trends.
Associate Professor Nwokora said voter sentiment polls for US elections traditionally surveyed only Americans.
But the Deakin poll put the ball squarely in the court of people from other nations, giving them a voice on who should lead the world's most powerful nation.
'Presidential elections in the US draw worldwide attention because America has huge power and influence on the international stage. Their elections are of global significance, even if it is only Americans who actually get to vote,' Associate Professor Nwokora said.
'Besides allowing us to compare the views of Americans and citizens from other nations, the poll results will be a great resource for US policy makers to understand how citizens in other nations view different potential American administrations and the issues that matter to them.'
Dr Russell Kennedy of Deakin's School of Communication and Creative Arts is the project's other co-lead and said the outcome of the 2024 US election would have far-reaching implications for international security, business, the environment and finance.
'The You Say We Say project aims to understand public opinion on the 2024 United States election through a mass participation survey distributed globally via social media,' Dr Kennedy said.
'We are updating the data every two to three days for the first two weeks and every day for the last two weeks. We're really hoping this goes viral on all the social media platforms.'
