The national survey released Tuesday by The Hill/HarrisX shows Biden leading Trump by 6 percentage points overall, 45 percent to 39 percent. The poll found that 7 percent of voters were undecided, while 4 percent said they were voting for a third-party candidate and another 4 percent do not plan on voting.
A large majority of Republicans, 82 percent, plan on voting for Trump, but the poll found 11 percent plan to cross party lines and vote for Biden. Democrats who indicated they would support Trump registered at 8 percent, while 84 percent of Democrats said they would stick with the former vice president. Biden had a small advantage over Trump among independents, 36 percent compared to 34 percent.
The poll also revealed several key demographic advantages for Biden. The only age group with a Trump lead was the 35-49 group, who favored the president 45 percent to 37 percent. Older voters favored Biden, with the 65 and over demographic giving the former vice president a 47 percent to 44 percent advantage. Biden had a large lead among women, 50 percent to 32 percent. Men favored Trump by 6 percent, 47 percent to Biden’s 41 percent.
Biden’s 3 percent party-crossing advantage was slight, but outside the poll’s 1.84 percent margin of error. The poll was conducted among 2,823 registered voters online between August 11 to August 14.
Newsweek reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.
Prominent Republicans supporting Biden have become more outspoken as the election approaches. Several including John Kasich, the Republican former governor of Ohio, have made appearances during the ongoing 2020 Democratic National Convention, which is being conducted virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I know that Joe Biden with his experience and his wisdom and decency can bring us together to help us find that better way,” Kasich said Monday. “I’m sure there are Republicans and independents who couldn’t imagine crossing over to support a Democrat. They believe he may turn sharp left and leave them behind. I don’t believe that. I know the measure of the man.”
“Joe Biden is a man for our times,” added Kasich “Times that call for all of us to take off partisan hats and put the nation first for ourselves and our children.”
Trump preemptively denounced Kasich as a “major loser” before the appearance, remarking that his 2016 primary rival “hasn’t done too well with Trump.” Other Republicans that appeared during the first two days of the convention included former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman, Quibi CEO Meg Whitman and former Secretary of State Colin Powell.
