Biden and Trump neck and neck ahead of crucial debates

In just over a week, on the night of June 28 to 29, Greenwich Time, Joe Biden and Donald Trump will have their first debate.

According to observers, it is precisely then that the candidates for the presidency of the USA will have the chance to win over undecided voters. Because their votes could tip the final result, according to the latest NPR/PBS News/Marist poll, published on Tuesday, both Biden and Trump would receive 49% support.

Most surveyed voters have already decided whom they will support in the November election, and 9% have not yet made a decision.

Besides the undecided, individuals who "know who their candidate is but might still change their mind" can significantly influence the outcome. This answer was given by as many as 25% of respondents in the survey.

- I think this reflects the current mood in the country. It also shows that there are still a few months left until the election - says Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, which conducted the survey.

The survey indicates that young people and voters of races other than white most often said that their choice could still change. In both groups, only about 55% stated that they were certain about whom they would vote for.

Experts note that support for Joe Biden is growing among people who do not identify with any political party and do not clearly define their views. Last month, 42% of this group declared support for Biden, and this month it is already 50%.

Miringoff states that this might be the group most influenced by the effects of Donald Trump's legal problems.

Interestingly, while Biden is gaining strength among undecided voters, Trump is doing better among those who "do not accept either". In other words, if they have to choose the "lesser of two evils," they will vote for Donald Trump.

In the survey, respondents could highlight which issues or topics are most important to them. The foremost issue was inflation (30%), followed by the preservation of democracy (29%), and immigration issues (18%).

Comparing Trump and Biden, most respondents stated that Trump would handle the economy and immigration better. Biden would be a greater guardian of democracy and legal abortion.

In the poll, besides questions regarding candidate support and their electoral programmes, respondents could refer to the recent historic verdict by jurors in a Manhattan court. The former president was found guilty in the case of concealing payment for the silence of porn actress Stormy Daniels.

Slightly more than half of the survey respondents - 51% - believed that Trump should definitely or probably serve a prison sentence. 47% said that Trump should definitely or probably not go to prison.

Elections in the United States will be held on November 5 this year.