Harris leads polls by nose as Election Day in US approaches: Reports

By Esra Tekin and Merve Berker

ISTANBUL/ANKARA (AA) - As Election Day approaches in the US, Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, who joined the presidential race at the end of July is dominating the race by a nose against her Republican rival Donald Trump.

According to the media reports, Harris has 48% voting rate, while Trump is following her with 47% in the polls.

In the swing states, Trump is leading the race by a nose in Pennsylvania and Nevada, while Harris is ahead of the former US president in Wisconsin and Michigan.

Harris had maintained a lead since August, occasionally by two or three points in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

While these states do not record party affiliation, early estimates suggest that new Democratic female voters may outnumber their Republican counterparts, while new Republican men outpace Democratic men.

However, the race has tightened, and Trump now has a narrow lead in Pennsylvania.

The impact of new voters is particularly evident in Pennsylvania, where over 100,000 ballots have already been cast.

This number surpasses incumbent President Joe Biden's 2020 margin over Trump in the state, highlighting the potential influence of these new participants.

Pennsylvania is crucial for both campaigns due to its large number of electoral votes, making it vital to reach the 270 votes necessary for victory.

These three states were historically Democratic strongholds that Trump won in 2016, but Biden reclaimed them in 2020.

If Harris can regain these states, she will be positioned to win the race.

North Carolina and Nevada present a different scenario, with independent voters making up the largest portion of new voters.

This widespread independence adds further uncertainty, as the choices of these unaffiliated voters could ultimately tip the scales in these and other swing states.

With new voter turnout already surpassing 2020 margins in several battleground states, their potential influence cannot be understated.

In Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, and North Carolina, the lead has shifted several times since early August, but Trump currently holds a slight advantage in each state.

Since Harris became the Democratic nominee, the dynamics of the race have shifted significantly.

On the day Biden exited the race, he was averaging nearly five percentage points behind Trump in the seven swing states.

In Pennsylvania specifically, Biden was trailing by about 4.5 percentage points at the time of his withdrawal.

Election Day -- including presidential and congressional elections -- is set for Nov. 5. But over 68 million people have already cast early ballots, according to the University of Florida's Election Lab.

About 1 million more Democrats than Republicans -- 13,015,856 to 12,135,666 -- have voted early either in-person at polling stations, or via mail.