Quinnipiac Poll gives Biden 10-point lead

The Quinnipiac University Polling Institute on Wednesday released a new national poll of likely voters that shows Democrat Joe Biden, the former vice president, retains a 10point lead over President Donald Trump.

The 50-percent to 40percent margin is similar to the Quinnipiac Poll’s Sept. 2 survey, in which Biden had a 52-42 percent lead over Trump’s re-election bid. In the new survey, 94 percent of likely voters who named a candidate for whom they will vote said their minds are made up, while only five percent said they might change their minds.

“Voters think Biden is smarter, more honest, more level-headed, and cares more about Americans than the president,” said Quinnipiac Polling Analyst Tim Malloy. “And that, in part, translates into a 10-point lead.”

Among registered party members, Biden has the support of 96 percent of Democrats. Among unaffiliated voters, Biden has a 49-41 percent lead over Trump. Ninety-one percent of Republicans support the president.

But Trump’s unfavorable rating is 55 percent overall, and 57 percent among women. Biden holds a 49-35 percent edge over Trump on honesty, a 58-45 margin on caring about average Americans, and a 56-36 percent majority on handling the issue of racial inequality.

By a margin of 14 percentage points, 56-42, the votes disapprove of the way Trump has handled the coronavirus pandemic, including 60 percent of women surveyed.

The poll also finds that the electorate seems resigned to a long Election Night, with only 30 percent believing that the nation will know the winner within hours. Sixtythree percent predict they won’t find out the winner that first night.

“Don't hold your breath on Election Night,” Malloy said in a statement. “Nearly two-thirds of likely voters don't anticipate going to bed on Nov. 3 with the election settled.”

Two-thirds of voters say they are “very” or “somewhat" worried of foreign interference in the presidential election, compared to 33 percent who told the poll they are "not so concerned" or "not concerned at all."

The poll found 47 percent plan to vote in person at the polls, with 34 percent saying they will vote by mail-in or absentee ballots. Of those who said they would vote in-person, 57 percent said they support Trump, and 35 support Biden.

Among voters who plan to use mail-in or absentee voting, 68 percent said they would vote for Biden, and 26 percent are Trump supporters. And of those who participate in early voting states, 65 percent will vote for Biden and 34 percent for the president.

The survey did not include details on what states were polled.

The Quinnipiac Polling Institute conducted the nationwide survey among 1,302 likely voters between Sept. 17 and 21. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.7 percent.