Competing fiercely for control over pivotal swing states in the election with only days until Election Day, Harris and Trump endure fetter.
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are in a dead heat, with the results likely hinging on key swing states, with the U.S. presidential election just days away. Both candidates are racing to win over undecided voters in one of the most closely contested elections in contemporary history, with less than a week to go.
Five Thirty Eight’s election poll tracker depicts Harris with a narrow 1.5-point lead over Trump nationally, as of Tuesday. However, indicating Trump is slowly but steadily closing the gap, this is down from a 1.8-point advantage the week before. With her grabbing a slim one-point national lead at 44 percent over Trump’s 43 percent, within the poll’s margin of error, the latest Reuters/Ipsos polls also show Harris’s lead shrinking in the final days.
Polls show Trump favored by 47 percent of voters on handling the economy and unemployment with an edge on economic issues. However, Harris has a little lead in addressing political extremism, favoring her approach versus Trump’s 38 percent, though this advantage is also declining, with 40 percent of voters.
The battle will likely come down to seven pivotal swing states: North Carolina (16), Pennsylvania (19 electoral votes), Georgia (16), Michigan (15), Wisconsin (10), and Nevada (6), Arizona (11), which collectively hold 93 Electoral College votes. While Trump has small advantages in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Arizona, and Georgia, Five Thirty Eight’s survey averages show Harris narrowly leading in Michigan, Nevada, and Wisconsin.
A little change in support in these states could tip the scales as seen in past elections. Both flipped to the Democrats in 2020 after years of Republican win, Georgia and Arizona, for example. These historical shifts demonstrate how unpredictable swing states can be.
The Electoral College will ultimately decide the winner while national polls offer a glimpse into voter sentiment, making state polls especially important. 2022 midterm errors remind us that polls aren’t foolproof, Polling errors in 2016 and 2020 highlighted the uncertainty of these predictions. Undecided voters could play a critical role in shaping the result, Experts heed that polls are snapshots of a moment in time.