Election 2024 live updates: Kamala Harris and Donald Trump enter the final push before Election Day

Men and women have been voting differently in presidential elections for decades. But could the gender gap be the deciding factor in this year’s razor-thin race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump?

The final ABC News/Ipsos poll before Election Day, released Sunday, found the gender gap among all likely voters at 16 points. Harris had an 11-point lead among women, 53% to 42%, while Trump had a 5-point lead among men, 50% to 45%.

The gender gap has averaged 19 points in presidential exit polls since 1996. However, some observers believe it could reach a new level in 2024.

“With a woman versus a man at the top and with the prominence of the abortion issue in the wake of the Dobbs decision, we could have a historically large gender gap approaching a gender gap this year,” said longtime Republican Rep. Whit Ayres pollster, told ABC News.

The formula for Harris’ success would be to win women by more than he loses men. The opposite applies to Trump.

“When you’re talking about dead heat races in seven swing states, anything could be the deciding factor,” Ayres said.

-Alexandra Hutzler of ABC News