North Carolina: Trump 48%, Biden 46%
President Trump has edged to a two-point lead over Democrat Joe Biden in the battleground state of North Carolina.
A new Rasmussen Reports telephone and online survey of Likely Voters in North Carolina finds Trump with 48% support to Biden’s 46%. A week ago, it was Trump 48%, Biden 47%. Two percent (2%) still like some other candidate, while four percent (4%) remain undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
Factor in those who haven’t made up their minds yet but are leaning toward one candidate or the other, and Trump has a slight 48% to 47% lead.
In 2016, Trump won nearly 50% of the vote in North Carolina, beating Democrat Hillary Clinton by almost four points.
Ninety-four percent (94%) of voters in the Tar Heel State have already made up their minds whom they’re going to vote for. Trump leads 49% to 47% among this group.
Among the 71% who say they have already voted, Biden has a 51% to 43% advantage.
Ninety-four percent (94%) say they are definitely going to vote, and Trump leads 48% to 46% among these voters.
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The survey of 800 Likely Voters in North Carolina was conducted October 28-29, 2020 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
Twenty-nine percent (29%) of voters in North Carolina consider the economy the most important issue in the election. For 25%, Trump’s overall job performance comes first in importance, while 22% feel that way about the coronavirus. Other issues don’t come close as far as the state’s voters are concerned: racial justice (8%); public safety (4%); national security (4%); illegal immigration (1%) and something else (3%).
Eighty percent (80%) of voters who rate the economy as most important are voting for Trump. Biden has the support of 57% of those who see Trump’s job performance as most important and 73% of those who emphasize the coronavirus.
Fifty-two percent (52%) of North Carolina voters approve of the job Trump is doing, while 48% disapprove. This includes 41% who Strongly Approve and 42% who Strongly Disapprove. Trump’s job approval in the state is comparable to what he earns nationally in the Rasmussen Reports daily President Tracking Poll.
Democratic Governor Roy Cooper earns 56% approval, with 34% who Strongly Approve. Forty-one percent (41%) disapprove of the governor’s job performance, including 28% who Strongly Disapprove.
More voters plan to vote in person after all as Election Day approaches, with confidence even higher that all votes will be correctly counted.
Democrats strongly agree with Biden that America is entering “a dark winter” because of the coronavirus, but other voters aren’t nearly as gloomy. Trump is more upbeat, promising a COVID-19 vaccine soon, and most voters say they’re likely to get one.
Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to Platinum Members only.
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The survey of 800 Likely Voters in North Carolina was conducted October 28-29, 2020 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
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