Harris, Trump neck and neck nationally in new poll

Vice President Harris and former President Trump are separated by one point in a new poll from The New York Times/Siena College.

The poll, which took place between Sep. 3 and 6, found 47 percent of likely voters backing Harris. Forty-eight percent of likely voters backed Trump in the poll.

Harris and Trump are set to debate on Tuesday night, the second presidential debate this year following a June debate between President Biden and the former president. Biden’s performance in that debate raised concerns about his age, mental fitness and ability to recapture the White House among those in his party. He later stepped out of the 2024 race and endorsed his vice president. 

The Times/Siena poll also found 30 percent of likely voters saying they believe “the United States is on the right track,” while 60 percent disagreed with that sentiment

In an average of national polls from The Hill/Decision Desk HQ, the vice president is leading the former president by 3.8 percentage points, with Trump garnering 45.7 percent support to Harris’s 49.5 percent support.

However, Harris faces a tougher battle in some swing states including Georgia and Arizona. In averages of polls from The Hill/Decision Desk HQ for the Peach State and the Grand Canyon State, the vice president has a 0.4 percent lead and is tied with Trump, respectively.

The Times/Siena poll featured 1,695 registered voters, with a 2.8 percentage point margin of sampling error.