Harris, Trump in dead heat across swing states in Washington Post poll

Washington (Reuters): United States 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 per cent to 47pc, while Republican Trump was slightly ahead in Arizona with 49pc to 46pc. 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 September 30 to October 15.

Harris, who became the party’s candidate after 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 US Representative Liz Cheney.

Trump led in North Carolina and was tied with Harris in Nevada 48pc to 48pc, according to the poll. The former president will hold a rally in North Carolina later on Monday after surveying recent damage from Hurricane Helene.

Trump, 78, is making his third consecutive White House bid after losing to Biden.

Harris, 60, is a former San Francisco prosecutor, state attorney general and US senator seeking to rebuild the party’s diverse coalition of young voters, women and people of colour as well as pick up some Republicans disillusioned with Trump.

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 Nov 5, even as Harris holds an edge nationwide, according to some surveys.

Overall, 49pc of likely voters said they support Harris and 48pc backed Trump, the Post poll showed. Among registered voters, Reuters/Ipsos polling last week found Harris holding a steady, marginal 45pc to 42pc 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.