Beneath the surface of a close presidential race and NBC News’ final tied national poll, the handful of voters who have wavered in recent weeks illustrated the lesser evil thinking that could decide the 2024 elections.

Vice President Kamala Harris is an “empty vessel,” says one voter. Others worry that world leaders may not respect Harris because she is a woman. Another voter concern: It’s unclear what she stands for besides opposing former President Donald Trump.

But there are also voters who say Trump lacks the character or demeanor that a president should have. He is “very rude” and “lies too much.” And some specifically criticized the racist and degrading rhetoric of Trump allies at last week’s rally at Madison Square Garden, criticizing them for alienating Americans rather than uniting them.

That’s according to the responses of 24 respondents in the last NBC News national pollmade in recent days, from voters who say they seriously considered voting for Harris or Trump in the last two or three weeks before choosing the other option.

It’s an extremely small proportion of the survey: Only 2% of those who said they would vote for Harris said they had seriously considered Trump (and vice versa) in recent weeks.

But the responses of these voters (who were given time for extensive responses in their own words) shed some light on what’s going on in the final analysis of voters divided over who to support in an election that could be decided by narrow margins in key battleground states.

For those who considered Harris but ended up endorsing Trump, much of their reasoning centered on the economy or frustration with the direction of the Biden administration. There were also concerns about Harris’ gender or that she would be “weak,” either in reality or perception.

“I’m worried, I think other countries won’t take her seriously and would take Trump more seriously,” said a New York woman in her 40s.

A Hispanic man in his mid-20s from Missouri presented a similar contrast.

“Donald Trump seems like a bully to me, but it’s good to have a bully in your corner, especially when they’ve shown that whatever they’re doing is going to lower inflation,” he said.

“Also, Kamala Harris seems like a principled person, although a bit silly in her interviews,” the respondent continued. “She’s been in power with Biden and things haven’t been good in the world.”

Other voters mockingly mentioned Harris’ laugh, called Trump more “transparent in what he’s looking to do” and cited his support for Trump’s economic policies, such as tariffs and not taxing overtime pay.

For Harris supporters who briefly and seriously considered Trump, the former president’s tone and demeanor loom large.

“He’s very rude and I just don’t trust him. For starters, he lies too much,” said a white Wisconsin woman over 65 years old.

Two voters mentioned Trump recent demonstration at Madison Square Gardenwhere a comedian who spoke before Trump called Puerto Rico “garbage” and others made sexist and other inflammatory comments, as something that put them off.

Misattributing the comment about Puerto Ricans to Trump, a black Hispanic man in Pennsylvania criticized Trump.

“The rally in New York City where he called Puerto Ricans trash, I really didn’t like it. I can’t vote for that,” said the man, who is an independent between the ages of 25 and 29, according to his survey response. “Their policies are good for seniors.”

Experts say election results likely won’t be known on Election Day.

With such a small group of undecided voters after a long campaign, a constellation of issues, sentiments or breaking news could influence these people when deciding how to cast their vote.

The NBC News poll also asked about 400 respondents whether they had seen, read or heard anything in recent weeks about either candidate that gave them a more or less favorable impression of them.

In Harris, 40% said they had seen something that made them view it more favorably, while 43% said something made them view it less favorably, and 17% said that nothing made a difference or they had seen nothing that made them change. of opinion. .

Meanwhile, 33% said they saw something that made them view Trump more favorably, while 46% said they saw something that made them view Trump less favorably and 19% said nothing changed their situation.

Once again, a handful of voters brought up comments about Puerto Ricans at rallies when voters described something that made them view Trump more negatively. It was specifically mentioned by six of the 34 people who responded to the open-ended part of the question.

“This whole political rally thing with the comedian was just the straw that broke the camel’s back,” said a Texas woman, ages 60 to 64, who is leaning toward supporting Harris. “I’ve never had any respect for him and it’s hard to forget that he incited a riot that caused the American people to attack the Capitol. That, to me, is just the beginning of the end.”

When asked what had made them less favorable to Harris in recent weeks, several voters pointed to her current role in the White House and her ties to President Joe Biden, while others indicated they didn’t know enough about her plans.

“She hasn’t distanced herself from Joe Biden. She’s just following the path that Joe Biden has taken over the last four years,” said a middle-aged Florida man who leans toward Trump.

“I wish he would care more about what the country needs,” said a middle-aged Idaho woman who said she would probably support a third-party candidate. “I think it focuses on the needs of women. I think it attacks Trump. I feel like it doesn’t delve into the problem, like immigration. I feel like it says a lot of smart words, but I don’t get a response. Like with the economy. His vocabulary is very good, but I don’t get an answer.”

And one voter, a Louisiana woman between the ages of 30 and 34 who remains undecided, shed light on why she remains stuck.

“As for Kamala, I’m not really sure what she’s done so far for the country. And as for Donald Trump, he’s done something good for money,” she said.

But he added that “it has encouraged violence and racism in the country.”

This article first appeared in NBCNews.com. Read more from NBC News here: