Harris builds lead over Trump; voters see her as debate winner, Reuters/Ipsos poll shows

The two-day poll shows Harris with a five percentage point lead among registered voters

People watch the presidential debate between Republican presidential nominee and former US President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee and US Vice President Kamala Harris at a watch party hosted by the New York Young Republican Club, in New York City, US, September 10, 2024. REUTERS/Adam Gray

Democratic US Vice President Kamala Harris leads Republican Donald Trump 47% to 42% in the race to win the Nov 5 presidential election, increasing her advantage after a debate against the former president that voters largely think she won, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on Thursday.

The two-day poll showed Harris with a five percentage point lead among registered voters, just above the four-point advantage she had over Trump in an Aug 21-28 Reuters/Ipsos poll.

Among voters who said they had heard at least something about Tuesday's debate, 53% said Harris won and 24% said Trump won. Some 52% of respondents said that Trump stumbled and didn't appear sharp, while 21% said that of Harris.

Harris, 59, put Trump, 78, on the defensive in a combative presidential debate with a stream of attacks on his fitness for office and his myriad legal woes.

The poll surveyed 1,690 US adults nationwide, including 1,405 registered voters. It had a margin of error of around three percentage points for registered voters.

While national surveys including Reuters/Ipsos' polls give important signals on the views of the electorate, the state-by-state results of the Electoral College determine the winner, with a handful of battleground states likely to be decisive.