Kamala Harris leads over Trump in battleground states, shows latest poll of polls

In weeks since taking over US presidential race from Joe Biden, Kamala Harris has eroded the lead of Donald Trump.

In a reversal of trends, Democratic nominee Harris is now ahead of Republican nominee Trump in battleground states, according to latest poll of polls.

While Biden trailed behind Trump for months, Harris has made rapid gains since taking over the presidential contest from Biden. She has enthused new energy in the Democratic Party's campaign against Trump which is visible in her performance in polls. But more than general election polls, it is the battleground polls that matter as it is these few states that determine who wins the election.

Now, the Decision Desk-The Hill poll of polls has found that Harris is leading in four battleground states and Trump is leading in three.

The states considered were Pennsylvania, Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Georgia, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

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Harris leads in 4 battleground states, Trump in 3: Poll of polls

While Harris was ahead in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Virginia, and Wisconsin, Trump was leading in Arizona, Nevada, and Georgia, according to the Decision Desk HQ-The Hill poll of polls.

The actual findings are as follows:

• Pennsylvania: Harris: 47.6% (+0.8) Trump: 46.8%

• Michigan       : Harris: 48.0% (+1.8) Trump: 46.2%

• Virginia          : Harris: 44.9% (+2.6)Trump: 42.3%

• Wisconsin     : Harris: 49.6% (+3.2) Trump: 46.4%

• Arizona          : Trump: 47.6% (+1.3), Harris: 46.3%

• Nevada          : Trump: 47.2% (+2.4) Harris: 44.8%

• Georgia          : Trump: 48.0% (+2.6) Harris: 45.4%

What are battleground states?

The battleground states are a bunch of 'swing states' in the United States that actually decide the US presidential election result .

In the United States, states have long-standing patterns of voting either for Democrats or Republican, but some states don’t have any pattern and they keep swinging between Democrats and Republicans. It is these swing states that are called ‘battleground states’ and these states see the fiercest campaigning. The way these states swing determines who wins the election.

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Instead of one large nationwide election like in India or the United Kingdom, the US presidential election is actually a bunch of state elections. Each state has a number of electors. The nominee who wins the state wins all electors of the state.

Of the total of 538 electors, a nominee needs 270 to win the election. Therefore, presidential campaigns are tailored in a way that nominees reach the 270-mark.

In the American election system, the nominee with the most votes does not win. In 2016, Trump lost the popular vote but won the election as he won the states in a way that he crossed the 270-mark.