The presidential race is neck-and-neck just three weeks before voting day, a new national survey out of the US has revealed.
Both former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have secured 48 per cent support, according to the latest NBC News survey.
The numbers suggest Ms Harris is losing some ground after a brief surge in popularity following the announcement she would be taking the reins from 81-year-old Joe Biden in the Democrats’ push to secure another four years in the White House on November 4.
She has dropped a point after a high water mark of 49 per cent last month.
Mr Trump, on the other hand, has gained momentum and has risen four points from 44 per cent in September.
As with all tight elections, the end result is largely in the hands of the undecided voters.
Around 4 per cent of respondents remain undecided or express no intention to vote for either candidate, a figure that actually dropped from 7 per cent in the previous survey.
10 per cent say they might change their mind before heading to the polls, meaning Mr Trump and Ms Harris’ campaigns leading into November will be even more important.
Ms Harris holds a commanding lead in the Black demographic, with a whopping 84 per cent backing her compared to Trump’s 11 per cent. Nevertheless, the Democrats are aiming to bolster support among Black voters, as seen with former President Barack Obama’s passionate speech on Friday.
The presidential race is neck-and-neck just three weeks before voting day, a new national survey out of the US has revealed.
Both former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have secured 48 per cent support, according to the latest NBC News survey.
The numbers suggest Ms Harris is losing some ground after a brief surge in popularity following the announcement she would be taking the reins from 81-year-old Joe Biden in the Democrats’ push to secure another four years in the White House on November 4.
She has dropped a point after a high water mark of 49 per cent last month.
Mr Trump, on the other hand, has gained momentum and has risen four points from 44 per cent in September.
As with all tight elections, the end result is largely in the hands of the undecided voters.
Around 4 per cent of respondents remain undecided or express no intention to vote for either candidate, a figure that actually dropped from 7 per cent in the previous survey.
10 per cent say they might change their mind before heading to the polls, meaning Mr Trump and Ms Harris’ campaigns leading into November will be even more important.
Ms Harris holds a commanding lead in the Black demographic, with a whopping 84 per cent backing her compared to Trump’s 11 per cent. Nevertheless, the Democrats are aiming to bolster support among Black voters, as seen with former President Barack Obama’s passionate speech on Friday.
The numbers suggest Harris is losing some ground after a brief surge in popularity following the announcement she would be taking the campaign reins from 81-year-old Joe Biden.
The former US President has fought back and the race is now tighter than ever.
Among younger voters aged 18 to 34, Ms Harris leads with 58 per cent to Mr Trump’s 37 per cent. She also enjoys stronger support from white voters with college degrees, leading Mr Trump 55 per cent to 41 per cent.
Meanwhile, Mr Trump is dominating among rural voters, claiming 72 per cent of their support to Ms Harris’s 23 per cent. He also leads among white voters overall and white voters without tertiary degrees.
Another significant divide in the poll is along gender lines. 55 per cent of women are backing Ms Harris, while 56 per cent of men support Mr Trump.
According to US outlet The Hill, Ms Harris holds a narrow 2.9-point lead nationally, based on aggregated polling data.
The NBC News poll, conducted from Oct. 4-8, surveyed 1,000 voters and has a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.
RealClear polling, meanwhile, has Ms Harris at 49 per cent to Mr Trump’s 47.3 per cent, marking a 1.3 per cent gap.
As always, polling can only get you so far and the real indication of America’s intentions will only reveal themselves on November 5.
Chaos has already been sowed in the months leading up to the election. Multiple assassination attempts on Mr Trump’s life have spurred his follower base on, while Ms Harris’ taking over from President Biden in the race has whisked up some much-needed interest from the left.
To make matters more tense, intentionally-divisive foreign actors are reportedly muddy the water with a slew of disinformation campaigns online, aiming to whittle away at American resolve and encourage conspiracies about an allegedly fraudulent voting system.
Polling can only get us so far and the real indication of America’s intentions will only reveal themselves on November 5.
Obama backs Harris, smashes Trump
Former President Barack Obama unleashed sharpest critique yet of Mr Trump, accusing the former president of manipulating the public during moments of crisis.
Speaking to a packed crowd in Pittsburgh, Mr Obama condemned Mr Trump’s misleading statements regarding the government’s aid response to hurricane-hit areas, among several other criticisms aimed at the 78-year-old.
Mr Obama has implored Americans to get behind Ms Harris as the November 5 election looms, telling voters that their decision should be made on the “character” of the candidate as much as their proposed policies.
“The idea of intentionally trying to deceive people in their most desperate and vulnerable moments – my question is, when did that become OK?” Mr Obama asked, referencing Mr Trump’s claims that aid was being withheld from Republican areas or diverted to undocumented immigrants.
But when the crowd cheered, Mr Obama cut them off.
“I’m not looking for applause right now,” he said.
Taking the opportunity to bolster Harris’ presidential campaign, Mr Obama urged voters to get out and vote.
“Whether this election is making you feel excited or scared … do not just sit back and hope for the best. Get off your couch and vote,” he said.
Throughout his impassioned speech, Mr Obama criticised Mr Trump’s policies, especially his handling of the economy, calling the Republican candidate’s economic success claims “ahistorical nonsense”.
Former President Barack Obama unleashed sharpest critique yet of Donald Trump, accusing the former president of manipulating the public during moments of crisis.
“Yeah, it was pretty good when Trump took office in 2017 – because it was my economy,” Mr Obama said, reminding voters that he had spent eight years cleaning up the financial mess left behind by the 2008 financial crisis.
In a particularly pointed moment, Mr Obama called out Mr Trump’s constant blaming of immigrants for problems in the US, describing his promises to address the issue as “outrageously false or dangerously simple.”
Addressing black male voters, a group that has shown lukewarm support for Mr Harris since she replaced President Biden in the race, Mr Obama urged them to rethink sitting out the election.
“You’re thinking about sitting out… because you think that’s a sign of strength, because that’s what being a man is? Putting women down? That’s not acceptable,” Mr Obama said.
No group of voters is attracting more attention from the campaigns than the tiny sliver of the electorate that is still undecided.
While many people long ago made up their mind between Mr Trump and Ms Harris, a small percentage of the population is still grappling with their choice.
They will ultimately be the ones that decide the next president of the United States.
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