LOS ANGELES, United States, Oct 11, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Less than a month out
from the knife-edge US presidential election, no group of voters is
attracting more attention from the campaigns than the tiny sliver of the
electorate that is still undecided.

While many people long ago made up their mind between Donald Trump and Kamala
Harris, a small percentage of the population is still grappling with their
choice.

These voters "have a hard time deciding. They don't like to be rushed, and
they have equal disdain for both major presidential candidates," said Rich
Thau, who heads a consultancy called Engagious.

Thau has been running focus groups in the seven battleground states that are
likely to decide this November's presidential election -- Pennsylvania,
Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada.

Everyone they recruit to take part is a swing voter -- someone who voted for
Republican Trump in 2016 and for Democrat Joe Biden in 2020.

Engagious gathers a demographic cross-section of citizens from a particular
state each month, who meet on Zoom for a guided discussion about the issues
at play.

These conversations have given Thau and his colleagues valuable insights into
the minds of people who haven't yet decided how to cast their ballots.

That includes how they felt about the July earthquake of Biden's withdrawal
and his replacement at the top of the Democratic ticket by Harris.

"They're forced to choose between someone they don't like and someone they
don't know very well," he said.

That perfectly describes how 55-year-old Lisa feels.

"I am watching the news constantly and I'm getting burnout for it," said the
insurance broker, who, like all participants in the focus groups can only be
identified by her given name.

- Temperament -

She trusts Trump more on the economy, which she feels was better when he was
in power, but worries about his character and temperament.

"I'm afraid he would go back and retaliate against people who he perceived
slighted him in any way -- go after Stormy Daniels, go after all these people
that he threw under a bus and just spawn hatred again and negativity against
different populations, racism, certain religious groups," she said.

On the other hand, as someone with strong religious beliefs, she finds
Harris's support for abortion rights to be problematic.

"I have a very difficult time with that topic," she told the Pennsylvania
focus group this week.

Bob, a 45-year-old from the state, said he felt he had no idea who Harris
actually is.

"I don't know where she stands on anything truly deep down. I don't know," he
said.

"She was a good prosecutor and she did a couple of things as attorney general
(of California), but it doesn't really help me get a sense of what she can do
for the whole country in general."

- Abortion -

Glenda, a 41-year-old woman, said she was inclined to support Harris at this
stage, but remained skeptical.

"I'm leaning, but I'm not there yet," she said, adding: "Is she going to keep
her promises?... That's my biggest worry; is she going to stand firm?"

As a woman, she says she likes Harris's stance on abortion rights, but it's
not the only thing that she'll base her decision on.

As far as Trump is concerned, she has real worries over his policies on the
environment.

"Climate change is a big one for me. And I remember him very specifically
saying when he was president that it was a myth."

Swing voter Greg says he fears Trump doesn't have any real convictions.

He "can be very irrational at times with his speech, with his positions, with
his actions, and also he's easily influenced and can be swayed," the 47-year-
old said.

On the other hand, he thinks Harris has been thrust into the race without any
kind of popular support.

"She was not voted by her constituents to be the president of the United
States for the Democratic Party. She was put in that position and that's very
undemocratic," he said.

And, despite her having served as deputy to a sitting president for more than
three years, he's not sure Harris is qualified.

"What scares me about her is her lack of experience at a position like the
presidency," he said.

For the insurance agent, Lisa, this election is a missed opportunity for more
capable candidates.

"I have to vote, but I feel like I wish we could do better," she said.