Joe Biden (D) and President Trump are in the midst of what the Washington Post describes as a “dead heat” in North Carolina, as revealed in a Washington Post-ABC News poll released on Tuesday.
The survey, taken Oct. 12-17, among 646 North Carolina likely voters, shows the former vice president leading Trump by a single percentage point among likely voters. In the race, which includes third-party candidates Jo Jorgensen (Libertarian Party) and Howie Hawkins (Green Party), Biden leads Trump 49 percent to 48 percent. Among registered voters, Biden’s lead expands to two percentage points, 48 percent to Trump’s 46 percent. In that scenario, support for third party candidates jumps from one percent to three percent:
Even so, in both scenarios, Biden’s slim lead is within the survey’s +/- 4.5 margin of error.
The survey found 51 percent of North Carolina voters disapproving of Trump’s job performance compared to 47 percent who approve. North Carolina voters also have more confidence in Trump’s ability to handle the economy, garnering 51 percent support to Biden’s 45 percent. However, the results are virtually reversed when it comes to the Chinese coronavirus, with 51 percent trusting Biden to better handle the issue compared to the 43 percent who chose Trump.
The final RealClearPolitics (RCP) average had Trump winning North Carolina in 2016 by a razor-thin margin of .8 percent, but he went on to win the state by 3.6 percent. Tuesday’s RCP average showed Biden leading in the state by two percent.
With two weeks until Election Day, over 1.4 million North Carolina voters have already cast their ballots, either via mail or by voting early.