100 DAYS TO U.S. ELECTION
Biden leading in 3 key states which Trump won in 2016
Polls show Michigan, Florida, Arizona voters unhappy over handling of Covid-19
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US presidential hopeful Joe Biden speaking about his "Build Back Better" recovery plan for working families last week. Early voting in the Nov 3 election will start in some states as soon as five weeks' time.
PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
NEW YORK • Another wave of opinion polls released on Sunday showed voters leaning towards Democrat Joe Biden over President Donald Trump in Michigan, Florida and Arizona, three key states won by Mr Trump in 2016.
Handling of the coronavirus outbreak spells trouble for Mr Trump, pollsters say, as US cases now exceed four million and deaths are over 146,000. The US election is around a hundred days away but early voting will start in some states as soon as five weeks' time.
Mr Biden is ahead in Arizona by 49 per cent to 45 per cent among registered voters, according to a CNN poll conducted by SSRS, a survey and market research firm.
Another Arizona poll released on Sunday, from NBC News/Marist, put Mr Biden up by 5 percentage points, 50 per cent to 45 per cent.
Arizona voters said Mr Biden would do a better job handling the Covid-19 outbreak and race relations. Mr Trump's supporters were more enthusiastic than Mr Biden's, though - a factor that the President and his reelection campaign have emphasised.
Democrats also enjoy a wide advantage in Arizona's Senate contest between incumbent Republican Martha McSally and challenger Mark Kelly. Mr Kelly, a Nasa astronaut and husband of former Representative Gabrielle Giffords, had a 12-point lead over Ms McSally, 53 per cent to 41 per cent, after having a 3-point edge in March, NBC said.
Mr Trump won Michigan in 2016 by a narrow 10,704-vote margin. The new CNN poll put Mr Biden on top there by 52 per cent to 40 per cent. Another poll out on Sunday, from CBS/YouGov, showed Mr Biden leading by 6 points.
Some 70 per cent of Michigan's registered voters reported disliking how the President handles himself personally. Mr Biden had mixed scores on that measure himself but did better than Mr Trump by double digits.
Some surveys also showed that when both candidates were disliked, more voters were leaning towards Mr Biden.
CBS showed Mr Trump up by 1 point over Mr Biden in Ohio after winning the state by 8 points in 2016. Much of Mr Biden's support in Michigan and Ohio came from people who are mainly voting against Mr Trump rather than for Mr Biden, CBS said.
In Florida, Mr Biden is ahead 51 per cent to 46 per cent, according to the CNN survey. Like Arizona, Florida is dealing with a rapid rise in the level of coronavirus cases.
The RealClearPolitics summary of major polls, including those released on Sunday, shows Mr Biden up by 4 points in Arizona, 8.4 points in Michigan, and 7.8 points in Florida.
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