Last Update:05 November 2024 12:00 IST

As the US presidential race heats up, polls show Kamala Harris and Donald Trump neck and neck

Opinion polls continue to show an even race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. (AP)

As voting in the US presidential election begins in a few hours, the race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump is becoming competitive, with polls pointing to near-tie in many key states.

The winner of the presidential election will govern a country of more than 330 million people, but the contest will be decided by a small segment of the population in a handful of states. US media reports citing opinion polls said only seven of the 50 states were truly competitive this year, with the rest all comfortably Democratic or Republican.

Latest National Trends

Key battlegrounds like Iowa, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina will likely determine the outcome as both candidates make their final push for votes before Election Day. Pennsylvania, the most populous of these seven battlegrounds, stands out as the state most likely to decide whether the next president will be Democrat Harris or Republican Trump.

The narrow margins suggest that voter turnout and last-minute shifts in public sentiment could play important roles in deciding the next president. The race is particularly tight in swing states that are crucial for electoral votes. Polls show states like Pennsylvania, Georgia and Arizona effectively tied.

Various polls conducted in the USA show that Harris is narrowly ahead of Trump. A. HarrisX/Forbes the poll shows Harris at 49 percent and Trump at 48 percent. PBS News/NPR/Marist polling puts him at 51% to 47%. But other polls, including those from NBC News and Emerson College, show a result of 49%.

Harris’ Edge

Iowa: Latest polls show Harris with a slim lead over Trump in Iowa, 47% to 44%. This change is largely attributed to strong support from female voters.

Michigan: Harris is actively campaigning here, focusing on urban areas where her message of unity might resonate well. Their efforts aim to consolidate support between different communities.

Trump’s Edge

Georgia and North Carolina: Trump continues to have strong support in these states. His campaign focuses on economic issues such as inflation and government spending, which make many voters concerned about rising costs.

Pennsylvania: Both candidates are heavily invested in Pennsylvania, but Trump has historically done well here. Their rallies emphasize economic recovery and border security and appeal to key demographic groups.

Critical US states

On November 5, seven states could swing in either direction: the Rust Belt trio of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and the Sun Belt quartet of Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and North Carolina. Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin have served as “blue walls” for Democratic candidates for a generation.

But in 2016, Trump narrowly carried all three, building on his upset victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton. Four years later, Joe Biden won the presidency after taking back Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania for Democrats, while also notching surprising victories in Georgia and Arizona, two states that have historically voted Republican.

(With agency input)

Location :

Washington DC, United States (USA)