The U.S. elections take place in five days as Americans head to the polls for the final voting day. After months of debates, campaign rallies, and policy clashes, the climax of the election would finally be reached.
National polls show that Harris has a slight edge over Trump, although the outcome is still within reach for both candidates.
With core issues like the economy, healthcare, and foreign policy in play, the divide between the Democratic and Republican Parties has never been clearer. The final result will likely depend on the results of swing states, which are historically unpredictable.
Now the question on most minds is: Who will win, Harris or Trump?
Background
For weeks, early voting has given millions of Americans a chance to shape the country’s future in advance of Election Day.
But November 5 marks the key moment when in-person votes will be cast across the nation, and those votes will determine the next president.
With high stakes and close competition, both campaigns are making last-minute appeals to sway undecided voters, focusing on critical issues that highlight the differences between their platforms.
The former president focuses on conservative principles, including tax cuts, deregulation, and limiting the government’s role in the economy and healthcare.
His stance on the economy centres on boosting domestic production, cutting corporate taxes, and promoting job growth through deregulation, particularly benefiting business owners and middle-to-upper-income earners.
Trump’s approach to immigration is more restrictive than Harris’s, with policies aimed at reducing immigration flows and enhancing border security, which he frames as a strategy for “protecting American jobs and communities.”.
Trump is very popular with white, working-class, and rural voters. His focus on strong national defence and traditional values appeals to conservative voters, especially those in the older age range.
Harris runs on progressive planning and supports expanding healthcare, strengthening environmental policies, and promoting racial and social equity.
Her healthcare agenda includes building on the Affordable Care Act, aiming to make healthcare more accessible and affordable, especially for low-income families and communities of colour.
On environmental policy, She is a supporter of clean energy investment and supports strict emissions targets to combat climate change, a position that resonates with younger voters and progressives.
In terms of demographics, Harris has a broad base of support from urban, progressive areas and appeals to African American, Asian American, and Hispanic voters.
Using the National 2024 Election Polls by the Economist/YouGov, here is a timeline of results in recent months:
According to data provided by 270ToWin, polls taken across the country in October showed that Harris often outpaced Trump by a few percentage points.
However, the overall winner will still need to secure at least 270 electoral votes to claim victory. This ultimate result may rely on just a few thousand votes in key states, showing the importance of every vote cast.
The path to 270 electoral votes, however, is complex.
In the Electoral College system, which America follows, each state awards a specific number of votes based on its congressional representation.
A candidate can win the national popular vote but still lose the election if they fail to capture enough states with large electoral counts. This has made swing states (Pennsylvania, Michigan, Florida etc) central to both campaigns’ strategies, with each candidate rallying heavily in these regions to secure their path to the presidency.
So for now, polls show a higher chance for Harris; however, as earlier stated, swing states could provide a big turnover in results.
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