Former US President Donald Trump is virtually tied with Vice President Kamala Harris in the race for the White House, according to a new Wall Street Journal poll, which shows the Republican with a slight lead within the survey's margin of error.
The newspaper’s national survey put Trump just two percentage points ahead of his Democratic rival, reversing the results of its previous poll in August, the WSJ reported on Wednesday, with less than two weeks left before Election Day.
There was a negative shift in favorability of Harris and her job approval rating. In the latest study, 42% of polled voters said Harris is a good vice president, the lowest level since July. By contrast, Trump’s service as president was recalled approvingly by 52% of the people polled.
The newspaper suggested several factors that may tip the balance in favor of either candidate. Young men, who tend to side with Trump, may not show up to polling stations as readily as young women, who prefer Harris.
Another consideration is the rules in several battleground states, including Michigan, Wisconsin and Nevada, which allow registration on Election Day. Such voters are not be reflected in the WSJ sample, the article warned. The newspaper surveyed 1,500 voters from October 19-22, with the margin of error for the sample reported at plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.
Americans perceive Trump as a better candidate to handle the economy, although he is seen as more extreme and dangerous for the country than Harris, the WSJ claimed. Both candidates have been portraying their rival as too radical to serve as president. Harris has a strong lead on the issue of abortion, which is widely regarded as a key advantage for the Democratic Party.