America is slated to elect its next President in early November and appears to be rather hesitant to pick a clear winner. The race for the White House is expected to come down to the wire — with swing states playing a key role. Polls indicate a slim lead for Kamala Harris since she made an abrupt entry into the fray. But this remains within the margin of error (in most cases) and fails to provide a clear indication as to who will win.
It has been a turbulent campaign for both candidates with assassination attempts, last minute candidates, criminal convictions and a record-breaking donation haul. Both Harris and Donald Trump have found themselves mired in controversy at different points of time and their running mates have also moved the dial in somewhat unpredictable ways.
The four-day poll however indicated that Trump was the preferred candidate for a range of economic issues. Some voters also appeared likely to be swayed that some voters might be swayed by his claims that illegal immigrants are prone to crime — despite multiple fact checks and expert analyses that have largely discredited the assertions. Respondents rated the economy as the top issue facing the country…and some 44% said Trump had the better approach on addressing the “cost of living”.
Voters however trusted the mental acuity of Harris above that of Trump in the latest poll — with 55% agreeing that she was “mentally sharp and able to deal with challenges”.
But as both candidates make every effort to woo voters it is pertinent to remember that the decision will ultimately be made based on the state-by-state results of the Electoral College — with seven battleground states likely to be decisive. Five previous presidents — including Donald Trump — have lost the popular vote. And while the current margins suggest Harris is a step closer to the finish line there s less than half a point between the two candidates for around 100 pivotal electors.
(With inputs from agencies)
