• Kamala Harris leads Donald Trump by 47% to 40% in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll for the U.S. presidential election.
• Seven battleground states show Harris and Trump in a close race, with Trump leading in three.
• Both candidates are focusing on the economy, with Trump promising to create manufacturing zones and Harris pledging tax breaks for families.
• Despite Harris's lead in the polls, the race is far from over, with battleground states likely to be decisive.

In the latest political development, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris has taken a lead over Republican Donald Trump in the race for the U.S. presidential election scheduled for November 5.

According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll published on Tuesday, Harris leads Trump by 47% to 40%. This lead appears to have blunted Trump's edge on the economy and jobs, which has been a significant factor in the election campaign.

The poll, which closed on Monday, showed Harris with a six-percentage point lead based on unrounded figures. She garnered support from 46.61% of registered voters, while Trump was backed by 40.48%. This lead is slightly higher than her five-point advantage over Trump in a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted on September 11-12.

However, it's important to note that the latest poll has a margin of error of about four percentage points. While national surveys, including the Reuters/Ipsos polls, provide crucial insights into the electorate's views, the state-by-state results of the Electoral College are what ultimately determine the winner.

Battleground States and Economic Policies

In this context, seven battleground states are likely to be decisive. In these battleground states, polls have shown Harris and Trump in a neck-and-neck race, with many results within the polls' margins of error. A recent New York Times/Siena College poll showed Trump with marginal leads in three of these states - Arizona, Georgia, and North Carolina.

When asked which candidate had a better approach on the economy, unemployment, and jobs, 43% of voters responding to the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll picked Trump, and 41% selected Harris. Trump's two-point advantage on this topic is a decrease from his three-point lead in an August Reuters/Ipsos poll and an 11 point lead over Harris in late July, shortly after she launched her campaign.

Harris entered the race after President Joe Biden folded his reelection effort following a poor debate performance against Trump in June. At that time, Trump was widely seen as the frontrunner, partly based on his perceived strength on the economy after several years of high inflation under the Biden administration.

Campaign Focus and Voter Confidence

Between April and June, Reuters/Ipsos polling showed voters picked Trump over Biden on the economy, unemployment, and jobs by between five and eight points. However, Trump still had wide leads in some measures of confidence in his economic stewardship. A Reuters/Ipsos poll from August asked voters which candidate had a better approach on the the U.S. economy - without specific reference to jobs or unemployment - and Trump led Harris by 11 points, 45% to 36%.

Both candidates are focusing their campaign pledges on the economy, which the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll showed was the No. 1 issue for voters. Trump said he would create special manufacturing zones on federal lands and has also promised to raise tariffs on imported goods.

On the other hand, Harris has pledged tax breaks for families with children and higher taxes for corporations. She is expected to unveil new economic proposals this week, even though some advisers acknowledge time is running out to convince voters with pitches on policy.

The polling average maintained by FiveThirtyEight.com shows a close race at the national level, with Harris leading Trump 48.3% to 45.8%. The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll surveyed 1,029 U.S. adults online, nationwide, including 871 registered voters. Among these, 785 were considered the most likely to turn out on Election Day. Among these likely voters, Harris led 50% to 44%, though similar to her lead among all registered voters, her advantage was only five points when using unrounded figures.

This election race is reminiscent of the 2008 U.S. presidential election, where then-Democratic candidate Barack Obama led Republican John McCain in the polls. Like Harris, Obama was seen as a fresh face with new ideas, while McCain, like Trump, was seen as a more traditional candidate with a strong focus on the economy. However, it's important to note that while historical events can provide context, they do not predict future outcomes.