AMNA NAWAZ: Recent polls show Vice# President Kamala Harris leading## former President Donald Trump by double# digits among voters under the age of 30.

But underneath that data lies# important signals about the## gender divide and the issues# that matter to young Americans.

Laura Barron-Lopez has this report# from the swing state of North Carolina.

WOMAN: Vote, baby.

WOMAN: Let's vote!

WOMAN: Let's do it.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Fresh off a tour of 30 college# campuses, 26-year-old Demo.. has been working toward this moment.

ANDERSON CLAYTON, Chair, North Carolina# Democratic Party: This was the first## time we ever got in The Ne.. LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: The nation's youngest# state party chair decided on a strategy early.

ANDERSON CLAYTON: The misconception is that# somebody like me could not do a job like this.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: To build a coalition of# young voters, like Barack Obama did in 2008.

BARACK OBAMA, Former President of the# United States: There are those who are## saying that North Carolina# would be a game changer.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: The last time a Democratic# presidential candidate won North Carolina.

ANDERSON CLAYTON: We put an emphasis on young# voters because that is where I think the party had## lacked the emphasis.

We know that North Carolina# youth vote is going to change this election## cycle for us.

And that meant that we needed young# people to get out there and organize young people.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: As for former President# Donald Trump's recent inroads with Gen Z men,## Clayton pointed to Democrats' edge with women.

ANDERSON CLAYTON: We're doing everything we# can to combat that.

But I also think that our## demographics and where we need to push on doesn't# just rely on young men.

It relies on getting out## and targeting women, marginalized communities,# people that our party actually speaks for.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Nationally, polls show# a significant gender gap among young voters,## ages 18 to 29.

That's driven in part by a Harris# lead of 30 points or more among young women.

ANDERSON CLAYTON: One of these# young women is Chantel Chestnutt,## who is excited to cast her very first# presidential ballot for Harris this year.

CHANTEL CHESTNUTT, Harris Supporter: It just# feels good, especially her being an HBCU graduate.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Like most# of the students we talked to at## the historically Black College of# North Carolina Central University,## one of Chantel's biggest issues# is abortion and women's rights.

CHANTEL CHESTNUTT: There's a lot of# things at stake here.

And I feel like## the outcome of this election will# not only shape the next four years,## but really shape the next maybe decade, two# decades, and a lot of my life.

So I feel## like this election is very important# for me to vote, make my voice heard.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: About 40 million# Gen Z voters are eligible to vote this## year.

Those young voters could be the# deciding factor here in North Carolina,## a state that Donald Trump won# by roughly 75,000 votes in 2020.

EMILY STACK, Chair, North Carolina Federation of# Young Republicans: Right now, I think they care## most about the economy.

They're coming# out of c.. hey, where am I going to find a job?

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Thirty-year-old Emily Stack,## the head of North Carolina's# Federation of Young Republicans,## is trying to change her party's typical# difficulty with reaching younger Americans.

EMILY STACK: In general, the# Republican Party always needs## to be better at just talking to the younger# voter, because, a lot of times, as you know,## even in politics in general, we have an# older population that runs government.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Stack says the state's network# of College Republicans will be key to turnout.

ZANDER PITRUS, President, Duke# College Republicans: On campus,## free speech is nearly no.. LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Zander Pitrus, a junior# at Duke, restarted the school's chapter of## College Republicans this month, in the hopes of# providing an outlet for conservative students.

ZANDER PITRUS: There will be a growing number# once Republicans are less fearful on campus,## experience less censorship and# even self-censorship on campus,## where they're willing to come out of the woodwork.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: In a statement# to "News Hour," Duke University said:## "We believe in fostering a diversity of# perspectives on campus, and we supported## the group's return to ensure that a wide# range of viewpoints is represented at Duke."

At the first ever meeting# of this revitalized club,## 12 students were in attendance.

But# at least one wasn't voting for Trump.

MATTHEW KLINGER, Harris Supporter:# We have to go beyond talking points.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Twenty-one-year-old# Matthew Klinger, a registered Republican,## doesn't agree with most of Harris' policies,# but is putting that aside to vote for her.

MATTHEW KLINGER: I'm pro-life.

I think# that a limited government is what's best## for the economy and what's best for the# people.

But I also believe in truth and## I believe in empathy.

And I do not think# that Donald Trump represents those values.

I look at his attack of the Capitol on January# 6, his consistent belittling of immigrants and## made-up stories about people eating cats and# dogs in Ohio, for example.

All these things,## I do not think represent a man that# should be in charge of our country.

WOMAN: There's no more party of small government.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Also apparent# at the gathering, the gender gap,## with only one woman student showing up.

TREVOR DARR, Trump Supporter: Identity politics# has improved culture and society in some ways.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Eighteen-year-old Trevor# Darr understands why most women may not vote## for Trump.

But he says young men don't# feel welcome in the Democratic Party.

TREVOR DARR: I think the Democratic Party,# as of late, has put place a lot of societal## vilification the shoulders of young men# and saying that we're the source of a lot## of social ills in America.

And Donald Trump# has repudiated that message in a lot of ways.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Trevor's support of Trump is# based mainly on foreign policy.

But he added that,## overall, Trump does more to engage his# generation in their social media spaces.

TREVOR DARR: I think he knows how to use# cultural vehicles to be able to reach my## demographic.

I think pointing at the Adin# Ross podcast is a really good example of## how the Trump campaign has been willing# to use atypical campaigning measures,## using avenues that are dominated by that# young male demographic to then reach them.

MAN: I know President Trump is a fighter.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Trump's appeal to young# men is not subtle, said Richard Reeves.

RICHARD REEVES, American Institute# For Boys and Men: You know, it's UFC,## it's podcasts, it's Hulk# Hogan tearing off his shirt.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: But he# added, it's also superficial.

RICHARD REEVES: There's no# policy behind that.

There's## no substance behind that.

But# there is a sense of welcome.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Reeves, a scholar# on the challenges facing boys and men,## said the irony is, Democrats have more# concrete proposals benefiting young men,## like Medicaid expansion and jobs# created by the infrastructure bill.

But they don't sell it as# good for men or pro-male.

RICHARD REEVES: It's a bit more of a# head-scratcher as to what's happening## with those young men.

My view is that it's# because the left and the Democrats have## just not contested enough.

They have# ceded too much ground on this issue.

I'm quite convinced that that's part of the# problem here, is that young men today don't see an## obvious scripted place for themselves in society# and in community and in the family in the way that## their fathers did.

What ends up being the choice# for a lot of men is feeling like a left that's## turned its back on them and a right that thinks# the solution is to turn back the clock on women.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Back at North# Carolina Central University,## 21-year-old Amari Glover said some of his# friends have told him they might back Trump.

AMARI GLOVER, Harris Supporter: I have noticed# this, especially because he hangs out with a lot## of the rappers that my generation is cool with.

So# I feel like that's a way for him to influence us,## because we will see that and say,# oh, Trump is cool, or he gets us,## he understands, when, really, I just feel# like it's a tactic to get his way inside.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: But he was# on his way to vote for Harris.

AMARI GLOVER: When I'm thinking about# representation, honestly.

I feel like Kamala## is a great representation of what America should# be and what it can be in the next four years.

ANDERSON CLAYTON: Even before the# world and the country believed it,## she believed that North# Carolina was a swing state.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: For Anderson Clayton,## there's no denying that Harris# expanded the map for Democrats.

ANDERSON CLAYTON: I do think that she has made# a world of difference being at the top of the## ticket this year.

And folks knew that North# Carolina was going to be a marginal state,## and it's a state where, like, that# energy level could be that margin,## right?

It could push people over# the top to get out and vote.

And I think that there is a huge# impact and a wave of opportunity## here that Joe Biden would not have had, honestly.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: If Clayton is right,## it would be only the second time since the# 1970s that Nor.. For the "PBS News Hour," I'm Laura# Barron-Lopez in Durham, North Carolina.