New polls show Biden leading Trump in Nevada, a virtual tie in Ohio

New polls by The New York Times and Siena College released on Wednesday show Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden with a healthy lead over President Trump in Nevada, and a virtual tie between the two in Ohio.

Among likely voters in Nevada, Biden led Trump by six points — 48 percent to 42 percent — and in Ohio, they were virtually tied, with Biden ahead by just one point, at 45 to 44 percent. The polls, which were taken after Trump announced he tested positive for COVID-19, found that six percent of Nevada voters and seven percent of Ohio voters are undecided.

Regarding the coronavirus, 62 percent of voters in Nevada and 58 percent of voters in Ohio said Trump did not take adequate precautions to protect himself from the virus. Most also didn't think he should have been holding large rallies — when asked about campaigning during the pandemic, 20 percent of Ohio voters and 28 percent of Nevada voters said it was okay to appear in person before large crowds, but 65 percent of voters in Ohio and 58 percent of voters in Nevada believe the candidates should only hold small events with a few people who are socially distanced.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Women, suburbanites, and third-party voters are giving Biden a boost in both Nevada and Ohio. Among women, Biden leads Trump by 11 percentage points in Ohio and 14 percentage points in Nevada. When it comes to suburban voters Biden is ahead of Trump by 32 percentage points in Nevada and 22 percentage points in Ohio. Biden's support from people who did not vote in 2016 or voted for third-party candidates is massive, with 51 percent backing him in Ohio, compared to 16 percent for Trump, and 45 percent supporting Biden in Nevada, compared to 26 percent for Trump.

The polls were conducted from Oct. 2 to Oct. 6, with 661 likely voters in Ohio and 660 likely voters in Nevada surveyed. The margin of error in both states in 4.3 percentage points.