With voting just 10 days away, US presidential contenders Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are locked in a dead heat. The final New York Times/Siena National Poll put them both at 48%, indicating the electorate is evenly divided, a rare event.
A New York Times report warned that this “is not encouraging for Ms Harris … Democrats have been looking for Ms Harris to build a strong national lead as a sign that she would do well in such critical swing states as Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.”
Harris position may have even declined since the last Times/Siena College Poll taken early this month. At that point she had a lead over Trump, 49% to 46%, but the latest figures suggest the contest has drawn even closer, a reflection of national sentiment.
But the presidential election will be decided in the seven battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Opinion polls there also suggest the contest will be close.
The voters appear to be responding strongly to Trump on the issue of immigration, with 15% naming it as their top issue, up from 12% earlier. Voters, says the NYT report, by an 11-point margin trusted Trump more than Harris to deal with immigration.
Trump has promised to undertake “the largest deportation in American history”, in his campaign speeches.
There is also pessimism about the direction of the country, which is a dangerous sign for any party in power, the NYT report said. Only 28% say the country is headed in the right direction, indicating that Trump painting a dark picture of the nation under Biden and Harris is finding resonance among many voters.
Trump’s age, he is 78, does not appear to bother 41% of the electorate, a figure which has not changed from July even though his rambling campaign speeches led to questions and criticism of his mental acuity.
For Harris, the positive sign is she has narrowed the gap with Trump on the economy, the top concern for voters, to 6 percentage points from 12. She also has a 16-point lead when it comes to protecting abortion rights, a major concern for female voters.
With 15% of voters undecided while indicating Harris is their favourite, clearly she has room to grow. Among the 9% of voters who have already cast their ballots by mail, 59% leaned towards Harris, 40% for Trump. But this time, unusually, Republicans are also casting early ballots in heavy numbers.
A gender gap is visible with 54% of women backing Harris 42% backing Trump. When it comes to men, 55% back Trump against 41% for Harris.
