Political ad for Harris urges women to hide their votes from husband, Trump calls it 'stupid'

The latest advertisement for the Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris left the Republicans in fury as it showed a woman voting for the Democrat while her husband thinking otherwise. 

In the ad, a woman marks her ballot for the vice president while her husband thinks she's voting for Trump. "What happens in the booth, stays in the booth," a voiceover said in the ad.

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The 30-second clip, narrated by actor Julia Roberts, shows the couple arriving at a polling station wearing baseball caps featuring the American flag, a symbol often sported by Trump supporters.

Reacting to the "stupid" ad, which was financed by a religious non-profit organisation, the former president asked, "Can you imagine a wife not telling her husband who she's voting for?"

In the ad, the wife exchanges knowing glances with another female voter, before filling in her choice for Harris.

"You can vote any way you want, and no one will ever know," the voiceover said before the husband asked, "Did you make the right choice?" 

"Sure did, honey," the woman replied.

'Wife secretly voting for Harris equals to having an affair'

On Fox News, a host recently said his wife secretly voting for Harris would be "the same thing as having an affair," while former Republican House speaker Newt Gingrich said the Harris spot was an example of the depth of her camp's "corruption."

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Anti-Trump political group The Lincoln Project aired a similar ad showing two upper-middle-class men who assured each other their wives were voting for Trump. The women, along with other females at the voting precinct, then filled in their ballots for Harris.

'Secret' voters of Harris 

Former Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney, who has stumped for Harris, is openly betting on "secret" votes for the Democrat.

"I think you're going to have, frankly, a lot of men and women who will go into the voting booth and will vote their conscience and will vote for Vice President Harris," said Cheney, who is the daughter of former vice president Dick Cheney.

"They may not ever say anything publicly, but the results will speak for themselves," she said.

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Former first lady Michelle Obama recently reiterated this point, reminding the female electorate, "If you are a woman who lives in a household of men who don't listen to you or value your opinion, just remember that your vote is a private matter."

(With inputs from agencies)