Kamala Harris spent over a billion dollars on her campaign to succeed Joe Biden after he dropped out of the presidential race on July 21. She hobnobbed with famous celebrities, and spent millions on events aimed at reaching low-information voters.
But millions of Americans didn’t realize Harris was even on the ballot prior to election day. They were puzzled to see Kamala Harris on the ballot rather than Joe Biden. That was true even in Pennsylvania, where Harris spent over $200 million, and more than $538 million was spent on TV ads about the presidential election. Many Philadelphia voters did not realize that Harris was the Democratic nominee, rather than Biden.
On Election Day, many Americans appeared to be surprised by President Joe Biden’s absence from the 2024 ballot, despite his withdrawal from the race months earlier.
Google searches for “Did Joe Biden drop out?” saw a notable spike, particularly in urban areas and key states such as Pennsylvania, Washington, and North Carolina, where interest in his candidacy appeared strongest….
Biden announced his decision to step aside on July 21, officially endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee following a debate performance in June that prompted questions about his ability to compete against Republican candidate Donald Trump.
The decision was widely publicized, but search data suggests that a significant number of voters were still unclear about Biden’s candidacy as they headed to the polls….the trend spiking on Election Day highlights a disconnect for some Americans in the lead-up to the election.
Many supporters were left confused, with searches peaking in Pennsylvania’s urban centers and spreading state by state as the day continued.
