By james art 
A recent set of UMass Lowell/YouGov polls conducted in mid-October shed light on hotly contested presidential races in key states like North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan and New Hampshire. Polls reveal a tight race with no clear front-runner between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
In North Carolina, the poll shows a close race, with Trump holding a slight lead over Harris, garnering 47 percent of likely voters compared to Harris’ 45 percent. Another poll in the same state, however, showed Harris with a slight edge, with 48 percent of likely voters backing her, while 47 percent supported Trump.
The results of the Pennsylvania poll mirrored the deadlock seen in North Carolina, with Harris and Trump tied at 48 percent and 47 percent, respectively. In Michigan, Harris maintained a lead over Trump, securing 49 percent of likely voters compared to Trump’s 45 percent, which was within the poll’s margin of error.
On the other hand, in New Hampshire, Harris has emerged as the preferred candidate, holding a modest lead over Trump with 50% support from likely voters, compared to Trump’s 43%.
Despite these individual state findings, the North Carolina polling average continues to show a close race, with both candidates receiving similar support from likely voters, with 48% backing Trump and 47% backing Harris.