Former President Donald Trump has gained a slight lead over Vice President Kamala Harris among early voters in battleground states.

What Happened: The Harvard CAPS/Harris poll reveals that 48% of early voters in key swing states are in favor of Trump, while Harris has the support of 47%. An additional 5% of the respondents either opted for another candidate or had not yet cast their vote. "Trump's swing state strategy is paying off," noted Mark Penn, the poll's co-director, reported The Hill.

Despite Trump's slight advantage in swing states, Harris holds a substantial 8-point lead among early voters nationwide, with 51% support compared to Trump's 43%. Overall, 45% of voters stated they'd be voting early, while 50% intend to vote on Election Day.

The poll, conducted from October 11-13, was based on responses from 3,145 registered voters, including 2,596 likely voters and 898 battleground state voters. The margin of error for the total sample was plus or minus 1.8 percentage points.

With less than a month to go until Election Day, the race for the Oval Office is incredibly close, with key battleground states expected to play a decisive role.

Why It Matters: Earlier, a CBS News poll showed Harris leading Trump by 3 points. However, most Americans expressed a pessimistic outlook on the state of the country.

Simultaneously, the Democratic Party saw a dip in voter registration advantage in key battleground states like Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Nevada, potentially posing a challenge for Harris, as reported by Benzinga.

Despite these challenges, an NBC News poll showed Trump and Harris evenly matched with 48% support each, indicating a neck-and-neck race in the final stretch of the presidential election.