The number of Americans who think the United States is ready for a female president is declining

The number of Americans who think the United States is ready for a female president has declined, according to a poll released Friday, with just over half saying they think the country is ready this year.

The poll, conducted by YouGov for The Times, found that just 54% of respondents believe the country is ready to elect a woman president in 2024, down from 63% in a 2015 YouGov poll. The question comes as Vice President Kamala Harris emerges as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee now that President Joe Biden has withdrawn his bid for re-election.

Nearly a third of respondents said they did not think the country was ready for a female president, and 53% said they hoped a female president would be elected within the next ten years.

The question focuses on whether the country as a whole is ready to elect a woman president rather than the person being polled. Many Democrats are concerned about whether the country will elect a woman to lead their party, with 77% of registered Democrats saying they think the country is ready. Just over a third (37%) also say that about half or more of Americans would not vote for a woman with similar qualifications.

The survey also found that 35% of Democratic respondents believe Harris should choose a male running mate, while just 6% believe there should be two women on the ticket.

The poll was conducted Monday and Tuesday among 1,170 registered voters. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.