Washington: Just days before the US election, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are neck-and-neck in key swing states, according to the latest polls.
According to Anadolu Agency, an Economist/YouGov poll released on Wednesday indicates that 47% of registered voters say they will or have already cast their votes for Democratic candidate Harris, while 46% express the same support for Republican candidate Trump. The actual gap between the candidates among registered voters is closer to 2 points than 1 due to rounding, suggesting a stable race. Among likely voters-defined as registered voters who affirm their intention to vote or have already voted and participated in the 2020 or 2022 elections-Harris holds a slight lead with 49% compared to Trump’s 47%.
The Washington Post reported that Harris has sustained her lead nationally and in the battleground states of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Nevada, although her lead in Pennsylvania has diminished over the past week. Meanwhile, Trump cont
inues to lead in Arizona, Georgia, and North Carolina.
RealClearPolitics, which aggregates all major polls, shows Trump with a narrow 0.4% lead nationally. In battleground states, he holds a small lead of 1%. CBS News polling reveals a highly competitive race in Pennsylvania, with Trump and Harris both garnering 49% support from voters. A Fox Poll released Wednesday indicates Trump narrowly leading Harris by one point in Pennsylvania and North Carolina, while the two candidates are tied in Michigan.
The seven key swing states in this election-Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin-are pivotal, as the US does not directly elect its presidents. Instead, the election process unfolds through the Electoral College, where 538 representatives cast their votes based on their state’s outcomes. Either candidate needs to secure 270 Electoral College votes to claim victory. Electors are allocated to states based on population, with most states awarding all their electors to the
candidate who wins the general vote in that state. The winner-take-all model is not used in Nebraska and Maine, which allocate their votes proportionally according to final outcomes.
US Election Day, which includes both presidential and congressional elections, is scheduled for next Tuesday, November 5.