Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are neck-and-neck in the final stretch before Election Day, according to polling data released on Friday. An average of national surveys compiled by RealClearPolitics shows Trump holding a narrow lead of 0.3%, with the former president also leading in five of the seven critical battleground states. Trump's largest leads are in Georgia (+2.6%) and Arizona (+2.3%), followed by narrower advantages in Nevada and North Carolina. Harris holds slight leads in Wisconsin and Michigan, while Pennsylvania remains nearly tied between the two candidates. With 44 Electoral College votes, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin were pivotal in forming a "blue wall" for President Joe Biden in 2020. Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, and North Carolina round out the seven swing states, crucial to the election outcome due to the Electoral College system, where each state's electors generally vote for the candidate who wins their state. A candidate needs 270 out of 538 Electoral College votes to secure the presidency. As of Friday, over 68 million early votes have been cast, with Democratic voters outnumbering Republicans by about 1 million, according to data from the University of Florida's Election Lab. Election Day is set for November 5, with both presidential and congressional races on the ballot. — Agencies
