Kamala Harris, the US vice president and Democratic presidential candidate, is increasing her lead over Republican rival, former President Donald Trump, after Tuesday's debate, according to a poll conducted by Ipsos on behalf of Reuters. Harris is expected to vote for 47 percent of respondents in the November election, while Trump is expected to vote for 42 percent.
Two-day survey showed Kamala Harris with a five-point lead (47 percent to 42 percent) among registered voters. That's an improvement on her result from the previous Ipsos poll for Reuters, conducted between Aug. 21 and 28, when she had a four-point lead.
Of voters who said they had heard “something” about Tuesday’s debate, 53 percent said Harris won, while 24 percent said Trump won. The remaining respondents said neither won or did not provide an answer. 52 percent said Trump stumbled and was not astute, while 21 percent said Harris did.
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Democratic and Republican Voters on Harris and Trump's Attitudes
“Many Republicans are also unconvinced of their candidate's performance in the Philadelphia debate. About 53 percent of Republican voters said Trump won the debate, while 91 percent of Democratic voters said Harris won. Among Republicans, 31 percent said no one won the debate, while 14 percent of that group said Harris beat Trump,” Reuters reported.
The survey included 1,690 U.S. adults nationwide, including 1,405 registered voters. The margin of error for registered voters was about three percentage points.
Kamala Harris debated Donald TrumpJIM LO SCALZO/PAP/EPA
The specifics of the American presidential election
The poll only signals certain changes in voter attitudes, but it cannot indicate a certain election result, because the candidate who gains greater public support does not always win the election.
Elections presidential elections in the US are indirect, not direct. This means that in each state, voters formally vote for electors of the Democratic Party, the Republican Party or another candidate. In each state, the party wins a different number of electoral votes, and these are added up nationwide (50 states and the District Colombia) to 538. The majority required to win the race for the White House is 270 Electoral College votes.
The outcome of the presidential election is most often decided by votes in a dozen or so so-called swing states – states where Democrats and Republicans usually spend the most time during the campaign.
Main image source: EPA/JIM LO SCALZO