New US election poll has Trump, Harris in dead heat with two weeks until vote
WaPo survey of seven swing states has candidates within a couple of percentage points; other polls show VP maintains nationwide lead, but battleground states will decide the race
WASHINGTON — US Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump remain in a tight contest across seven battleground states with just over two weeks until the November 5 US presidential election, a Washington Post/Schar School opinion poll showed on Monday.
Democratic former prosecutor Harris led among likely voters in Georgia 51 percent to 47 percent, while Republican Trump was slightly ahead in Arizona with 49% to 46%. Both findings fell within the plus or minus 4.5 percentage points margin of error in the poll, which surveyed 5,016 registered voters from Sept. 30 to Oct. 15.
Harris, who became the party’s candidate after US President Joe Biden stepped aside in July, also had an edge in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin — three states where she will campaign later on Monday with Republican former representative Liz Cheney.
Trump led in North Carolina and was tied with Harris in Nevada 48% to 48%, according to the poll. The former president will hold a rally in North Carolina later on Monday after surveying recent damage from Hurricane Helene.
Monday’s findings from the Post and George Mason Univeristy’s Schar School of Policy and Government echoed other recent polls that found a neck-and-neck race in the seven battleground states ahead of Election Day on November 5, even as Harris holds an edge nationwide, according to some surveys.
Overall, 49% of likely voters said they support Harris and 48% backed Trump, the Post poll showed. Among registered voters, Reuters/Ipsos polling last week found Harris holding a steady, marginal 45% to 42% lead over Trump.
However, state-by-state results of the Electoral College will determine the winner of November’s contest. The seven battleground states are likely to be decisive, with surveys of their likely voters offering an indication of the race so far.
