US election sees early voting ramp up as Harris and Trump remain neck-and-neck in polls

Early voting is now underway in Florida and Wisconsin in the United States as Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and Democratic counterpart Kamala Harris are locked in a close race, especially in key “swing states” that could determine the outcome of the election, recent polling data reveals.

With the highly contested presidential election scheduled for November 5, Trump and Harris are in a virtual tie across seven battleground states, according to the latest voter survey released by The Washington Post. About 47% of registered voters are inclined to vote for Harris, while the same percentage supports Trump.

Among likely voters, 49% favor Harris and 48% back Trump. Early voting has commenced in 47 states, including the District of Columbia, with in-person absentee voting already open in Florida and set to begin in Wisconsin. This period typically spans up to two weeks before Election Day and concludes on November 3.

Georgia recorded a record turnout on the first day of early voting last week, while Alabama, Mississippi, and New Hampshire are the only states that do not offer early voting and require a valid reason to vote by mail.

Latest Poll

A survey conducted by The Washington Post in early October polled over 5,000 registered voters and analyzed a large group of unregistered voters who have not committed to a specific candidate. Trump’s average has slightly surpassed Harris in the aggregated surveys by FiveThirtyEight, but the margin remains negligible, maintaining a statistical deadlock.

These results come as both candidates intensify their campaign efforts, with Trump serving fries at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s and Harris celebrating her 60th birthday at a church in Georgia.

Harris is engaging in moderated conversations with former Republican Liz Cheney in three battleground states on Monday, a move that has stirred controversy due to Cheney’s support for the Iraq war. Meanwhile, Trump has labeled Cheney a “War Hawk.”

Arizona and Georgia

Trump’s support has remained relatively steady in crucial states since a prior poll by Post-Schar. Harris leads by six percentage points over former President Joe Biden in that survey. Trump maintains a six-point lead over Harris in Arizona among registered voters and a four-point advantage in North Carolina.

However, his leads narrow slightly among likely voters. In Georgia, Harris is ahead by six points among registered voters and four points with likely voters. She also has a slight edge over Trump in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. In Nevada, Harris leads Trump by three points among registered voters, but they are tied among likely voters.

Fundraising

Harris has outpaced Trump in fundraising, raising $633 million in the third quarter, totaling over $1 billion. Her campaign amassed $359 million last month, with $222 million in September. However, they also spent $270 million in October for a last-minute advertising blitz.

On the other hand, Trump had $283 million at the beginning of the month and raised just $160 million in September. Despite this, the vice president’s campaign started October with $346 million cash on hand.

Trump secured a victory on Monday as the Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal from his former fixer, Michael Cohen, who had sued him for retaliation while promoting a controversial book about Trump’s time in the White House. Cohen had previously pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations during the 2016 election year.

With the presidential election drawing near, the race between Trump and Harris remains incredibly tight, with each candidate vying for support in critical swing states.