New Delhi
Power Corridors Bureau
With just days left until the U.S. heads to the polls, the presidential race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump has tightened dramatically. According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released Tuesday, Harris holds a paper-thin edge over Trump, with 44% of likely voters supporting her and 43% backing Trump. As Election Day nears, the contest is virtually a dead heat, with a margin of error of three points in either direction.
Since announcing her candidacy in July, Harris has consistently led in the polls, but her advantage has been slipping. Back in mid-October, Harris held a two-point lead, but the latest numbers, based on a survey of 1,150 U.S. adults (including 975 registered voters), reveal Trump’s momentum, particularly on key voter issues like the economy and immigration.
On the economy—widely viewed as the race’s defining issue—Trump is pulling ahead. He leads Harris by a notable 10 points, with 47% of voters trusting his approach to issues like job creation and unemployment, compared to 37% for Harris. Economic concerns top the list of voter priorities, with 26% identifying it as the most urgent problem facing the nation, trailed by political extremism (24%) and immigration (18%).
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Immigration remains Trump’s stronghold, as 48% of respondents prefer his hardline proposals over Harris’s more moderate policies, which received 33% support. Harris’s previous edge on tackling political extremism and protecting democracy has also shrunk, now at a mere two points (40% to Trump’s 38%).
Harris has focused her campaign on Trump’s controversial legacy, especially his involvement in the January 6 Capitol attack, making it a central theme as she prepares for her final pre-election speech at the very location where Trump rallied supporters before the riot. Trump, meanwhile, has painted Harris’s policies as a “socialist takeover” of American institutions, heightening his appeal among voters wary of political change.
Yet Harris’s slim national lead could fall short of securing the presidency, given the state-by-state electoral system. Seven battleground states are expected to be the deciding factor, with both candidates running neck-and-neck in these critical regions.
One factor that could tip the scales is voter turnout, which may see record highs. In the latest poll, 89% of registered Democrats and 93% of registered Republicans confirmed they are certain to vote, up significantly from the 2020 election. Among likely voters, Harris again has a slight edge, leading Trump 47% to 46%—a razor-thin margin that only heightens the suspense as November 5 approaches.
As the election looms, the final days of campaigning could be decisive in this race that promises to be one of the closest in modern history.
