Biden narrowly leads Trump in six swing states before Election Day, poll shows
In Arizona’s special election, Democratic former astronaut Mark Kelly leads Republican Sen. Martha McSally by a 51% to 47% margin. Michigan’s Democratic Sen. Gary Peters holds a 51% to 46% edge over GOP Army veteran and businessman John James.
In North Carolina, Democratic former state Sen. Cal Cunningham leads Republican Sen. Thom Tillis by a 50% to 46% margin. The CNBC/Change Research polls have found a consistent but small lead for Cunningham throughout the race, even after confirmation of the Democrat’s romantic relationship with a woman who is not his wife.
The polls suggest Trump’s performance during his first term, particularly in handling the coronavirus pandemic that has led to more than 230,000 American deaths, hampered him in key states. In the six swing states, 46% of likely voters said they approve of how Trump is handling the virus, versus 54% who disapprove.
Nationally, only 41% of respondents said they approve of how the president is managing the outbreak, versus 59% who said they disapprove.
At the same time, 53% of voters in the battleground states said they prefer Biden and Democrats to handle coronavirus, versus 47% who chose Trump and Republicans. Nationally, 58% said they would choose Biden and his party to manage the outbreak, while 42% picked the president and his party.
Trump got better marks on the economy: 51% of respondents in the swing states and 46% nationally said they approved of how he is handling the issue.
The economy and coronavirus appeared to be the defining issues for poll respondents in the final stretch before Election Day when voters were asked to name the three most important topics facing the country.
In the swing-state survey, 48% chose the economy, jobs and cost of living, while 41% picked Covid-19. The next biggest concern was political corruption, which 34% of voters chose.
Nationally, 44% of voters chose Covid-19, followed by the economy, jobs and cost of living at 43% aand political corruption at 31%.
The data signal Biden’s lead has a lot to do with the current occupant of the White House. More than half, or 54%, of swing-state Biden voters said they are primarily voting against Trump, while 46% said they are largely voting for the former vice president.
The motivation differs among Trump supporters. More than eight-in-10, or 84%, said they are mostly voting for Trump, while 16% answered they are voting against Biden.
— Graphics by CNBC’s Nate Rattner
Article source: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/02/2020-election-polls-biden-leads-trump-in-six-swing-states.html