As Democrats prepare to open their all-virtual convention on Monday, a new CNN poll shows Joe Biden’s lead over President Donald Trump in battleground states is narrowing.
Overall, 50 percent of registered voters support the Biden-Kamala Harris ticket, while 46 percent support Trump and Pence, according to the poll conducted by SSRS. The poll’s margin of error is plus/minus 4 percentage points.
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Among the 72 percent of voters who say they are either extremely or very enthusiastic about voting this fall, Biden’s advantage over Trump widens to 53 percent to 46 percent. But among those polled in 15 battleground states, the survey finds Biden has the backing of 49 percent of registered voters, while Trump lands at 48 percent.
The movement in the poll among voters nationwide since June is concentrated among men, those between the ages of 35 and 64 and independents.
For four consecutive nights beginning Monday, Democrats from across the country will gather — in front of their computers, television screens and smart phones — for the all-virtual affair that will showcase the diversity of the modern-day Democratic Party and test Biden’s ability to energize his coalition.
At the same time, President Trump is launching a campaign tour on Monday that features in-person stops in three swing states, including Wisconsin.
While Trump is a huge motivator for many Democrats, there is some concern within the party that lower-information voters who lean Democrat and swing voters aren’t locks to cast ballots for Biden this fall, especially as the pandemic creates barriers to voting.
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At the same time, Trump and his allies are fighting to scare away would-be Biden-Harris backers by describing the Democrats’ 2020 ticket as the most ideologically extreme in American history. While widely considered a political moderate — at least compared with the likes of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren — Biden has plans to implement a Medicare-like system for those who want it, sweeping environmental protections and higher taxes on the rich.
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