Donald Trump or Joe Biden: Who is leading the polls?
The upcoming United States Presidential elections are slated to be held on November 3, where Republican President Donald Trump will run against the Democratic nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden. The elections will decide whether President Trump will remain in the White House for the next four years. Although it may be too soon to tell, here's what initial polls say.
Biden leading polls so far; Trump catches up
Biden has mostly been ahead of Trump in the national polls. Biden has garnered 49% and had had a 10-point lead on many occasions, but Trump has climbed up to 45% recently. However, the polls are not necessarily a good indicator. In 2016, Hillary Clinton had a lead of three million votes but still lost since the US has an electoral college system.
What is the electoral college system?
In the electoral college system, the US states have a designated number of votes based on their population. For example, Texas has 38 votes while New Hampshire has four votes. There are a total of 538 electoral college votes, out of which, a Presidential candidate needs to hit the 270-mark to win the elections. Basically, the total number of votes is less important.
Who is leading in the key states?
In 2016, Trump had won in Iowa, Ohio, and Texas, but he is neck-and-neck with Biden in the three states currently, a BBC analysis suggested. Trump is also trailing Biden in the other battleground states, where he had won against his rival Clinton in 2016. Biden notably has big leads in Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
Has coronavirus impacted support for Trump?
In the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak, Trump enjoyed the support of Republicans which has now dropped to 78%. Trump has been losing support since Southern and Western states are now seeing fresh outbreaks. The President has also changed his rhetoric that the virus will "just disappear" to warning people that it will "get worse before it gets better."
Trump recently seen wearing face mask
Recently, Trump was also seen wearing a face mask for the first time ever, which has become a polarizing subject in the US between liberals and conservatives. Trump said wearing a mask will have an effect against the viral spread. Separately, the Democrats' support had already plunged in mid-March when the outbreak first surged in the US.
