The choice of Hoosiers in 2024 presidential election looks clear

NEWS AND OPINION:

Voters in the Hoosier State have a presidential preference.

“A new Emerson College Polling/The Hill survey in Indiana finds 57% of likely voters support former President Donald Trump for president in 2024, while 40% support Vice President Kamala Harris. Two percent are undecided,” the pollster advises.

“The presidential race in Indiana reflects 2020, with the same share of voters supporting Trump now than they did last cycle,” Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, said in a written statement shared with Inside the Beltway.

“Harris’ support reflects Joe Biden’s 2020 support: he received 41% of the Indiana vote. President Biden now holds a 28% job approval among likely Indiana voters, while 64% disapprove of the job he is doing as president,” the analysis said.

And one more thing. The poll also revealed that 88% of voters surveyed described themselves “extremely motivated” to vote in the presidential election, while 8% said they were “very motivated.”

The Emerson College Polling Indiana survey of 1,000 likely voters in the state was conducted online and by telephone Sept. 12-13 and released Tuesday.

EYE ON THE SKY

U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations — or AMO for short — revealed Tuesday that it soon will launch a “tethered aerostat” called Argos 2 over Cudjoe Key, Florida — located 21 miles east of Key West.

The Argos 2 will be matched, the federal agency said, with a Tethered Aerostat Radar System that has been in operation since 1980. This lighter-than-air aircraft can be deployed to heights as high as 12,000 feet.

What is this all for?

“As the Department of Homeland Security has seen upticks in transportation avenues and conveyances for illegal smuggling, fishing, and immigration activities, AMO will launch the Argos 2 aerostat to enhance Custom and Border Protection’s and U.S.  Dept. of Homeland Security’s ability to confront these increases,” the AMO said in a written statement.

“Past aerostat deployments have enhanced CBP’s border security posture, expanded its situational awareness capabilities, and increased reach and ability for the United States Coast Guard and other state and local law enforcement organizations,” it noted.

“These powerful surveillance tools are used by CBP’s Air and Marine Operations Center to provide border monitoring and enforcement of low-level aircraft and small vessels approaching the border. TARS have proven to be important and cost effective tools in thwarting illegal drug and human smuggling since they were first deployed in the U.S. more than 30 years ago,” AMO said.

EYE ON SPACE

There’s a significant event taking place Wednesday in the U.S. Capitol.

“House Speaker Mike Johnson will present a Congressional Gold Medal to the Hidden Figures, a group of women crucial to the space race, including those who helped calculate the Apollo 11 mission to land the first astronaut on the moon,” notes an advisory from the Speaker’s office shared with Inside the Beltway.

“Medals will be presented to families of Katherine Johnson, Dr. Christine Darden, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson. A fifth medal will be presented to commemorate all Hidden Figures who contributed to NASA’s success between 1930-1970. The ceremony will be held in Emancipation Hall of the U.S. Capitol,” the advisory noted.

Also on hand for this event besides Mr. Johnson: NASA Administrator Bill Nelson; House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, New York Democrat; Sen. Christopher A. Coons, Delaware Democrat; Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia Republican; Rep. Frank Lucas, Oklahoma Republican; and author Margot Lee Shetterly.

Ms. Shetterly wrote the 2016 book “Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race.” She will deliver remarks for the occasion.

The book was also made into a movie released by 20th Century Fox, which grossed $236 million worldwide and was nominated for three Academy Awards, including best film.

CONSIDER A TOOLKIT

Have you visited Ballotpedia lately? This straightforward research site is offering a helpful little something for voters as elections loom.

“Ballotpedia’s vision is one in which all voters have access to unbiased, trustworthy information about their candidates and elections. Your ballot is important and you deserve to feel completely confident in your decision on Election Day,” the organization said in a statement shared with Inside the Beltway.

“That’s why we’re excited to announce the launch of our 2024 Voter Toolkit! Our toolkit equips you with all the resources you need to vote informed and with confidence this November,” Ballotpedia advised.

“From our Sample Ballot Lookup tool and presidential coverage, to fact sheets about your state and answers to your FAQs, our tools help you stay up-to-date on the issues that matter to you,” it noted.

“There are just 7 weeks until Election Day, so stay tuned: we’ll be highlighting a new tool in the toolkit each week. No matter where you’re starting from, by the time November 5 comes around, you’ll be equipped and ready. Whether you’re excited, nervous, or confused about this election, Ballotpedia is here for you. You’ve got this, and we’ve got you,” the organization said.

Find them at Ballotpedia.org.

POLL DU JOUR

• 74% of U.S. adults say stress has affected the quality of their sleep this year.

• 31% say worrying about the 2024 presidential election has affected their sleep.

• 46% prefer to fall asleep with the TV on.

• 9% say they wake feeling well rested “usually every day.”

• 25% say they wake up feeling well rested “most days of the week.”

• 28% say they wake up feeling well rested “once or twice a week.”

• 16% wake feeling well rested “a few times a month.”

• 22% say they “rarely or never” wake up feeling well-rested.

SOURCE: A U.S. News survey of 1,200 U.S. adults conducted online throughout August and released Tuesday.

• Follow Jennifer Harper on X @HarperBulletin, on Facebook @HarperUniverse. Contact her at jharper@washingtontimes.com