As it stands, it's a two-horse race between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton for the presidency of the United States.

And that's too bad, because though they may be their respective parties' nominees, Trump and Clinton are the least popular presidential nominees in modern history. People don't trust Clinton or Trump, but many think they have no other choice but to vote for one or against the other. So far, very little consideration—from the media, the public in general or anyone else—has been given to the next two viable candidates as far as poll numbers go—Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party and Jill Stein of the Green Party.

There are three presidential debates scheduled, the first of which kicks off Sept. 26 on NBC. Only Clinton and Trump have been invited as they're the only two candidates polling above 15 percent nationally, which is the threshold set by the Commission on Presidential Debates.

That threshold should be ignored, at least for the first debate. According to the Los Angeles Times, the 15 percent mark is problematic because the CPD draws that average from five national polls conducted by traditional media outlets that often restrict themselves to head-to-head match-ups between Trump and Clinton, leaving Johnson and Stein out.

"... thanks to the electoral college, our national election is really a series of 50 state contests. A national poll is therefore essentially worthless when it comes to predicting the winner in November," a Tuesday editorial in the Times stated.

According to the CBS News/New York Times poll, on Thursday Johnson was polling about 8 percent and Stein about 4 percent.

Debate organizers need to take a cue from the nominating processes used by Republicans and Democrats and allow more candidates to take the stage. At the very least, Johnson and Stein should be invited to take the stage for that Sept. 26 debate.

It would give voters a chance to hear from candidates other than Trump and Clinton who, to be frank, have done little to inspire the electorate. Why should we just be limited to hearing from them?

Should Johnson's and Stein's numbers not rise to 15 percent nationally after that debate, they don't make the second round. Seems pretty simple to us.

Voter apathy and anger are so high, many have said they will not vote for either Clinton or Trump. If that's the case, we don't see the harm in allowing Americans to the opportunity to other candidates. If nothing else, it allows us to see what else is out there.

The Dispatch Editorial Board doesn't endorse any candidate for president, or any elected office for that matter. What we do endorse is the chance for voters to make an informed choice from a wider pool of candidates than we've been offered, especially when the leading two candidates leave so little to be desired. </s> PALM BEACH, Fla./WASHINGTON - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said without evidence in a tweet on Sunday that he won the popular vote in the Nov. 8 election "if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally."

The allegation by Trump, who won the required votes in the Electoral College to secure the presidency, comes as Democratic rival Hillary Clinton's lead in the popular vote over Trump has surpassed 2 million votes and is expected to grow to more than 2.5 million as ballots in populous states such as California continue to be tallied.

Clinton's legal team said on Saturday it had agreed to participate in a recount of Wisconsin votes after the state's election board approved the effort requested by Green Party candidate Jill Stein, which Trump has called "ridiculous."

"In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally," the Republican Trump tweeted as reporters waited for him to leave his Mar-a-Lago golf resort in Florida to fly back to his residence in New York City.

The U.S. presidential race is decided by the Electoral College, based on a tally of wins from the state-by-state contests, rather than by the national vote. Trump has surpassed the 270 electoral votes needed to win the White House. The Electoral College results are expected to be finalized on Dec. 19. Trump takes office on Jan. 20.

"It would have been much easier for me to win the so-called popular vote than in the Electoral College in that I would only campaign in 3 or 4 states instead of the 15 states that I visited," Trump added in follow-up tweets.

Before the election, Trump made unsubstantiated allegations that the results of the election might be "rigged" against him.

Since the vote, his message has alternated between appealing for unity and railing against his opponents and the media.

In a video message released ahead of the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday, Trump said he hoped it would be a time for Americans "to begin to heal our divisions" following a "long and bruising political campaign."

Trump has derided the fundraising effort by Stein to launch recounts in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania as a "scam." Those states had voted Democratic in recent presidential elections but all broke narrowly for the Republican Trump in this month's election. The recounts are not expected to change the results of the election.

Stein, who won about 1 percent of the national vote, has said she wants a recount to guarantee the integrity of the U.S. voting system, a push that came after some experts raised the possibility that hacks could have affected the results.

Democratic President Barack Obama's administration has said there is no evidence of electoral tampering, but experts have said that the only way to verify the results are accurate is to conduct a recount. </s> Voters go to the polls in five states </s> What If The Polls Are Wrong Again? 4 Scenarios For What Might Happen In The Elections

Enlarge this image toggle caption Scott Olson/Getty Images Scott Olson/Getty Images

There's a lot that can happen Tuesday, the culmination of a long midterm election campaign that will provide the first nationwide measure of the U.S. electorate since Donald Trump was elected president.

One narrative has become dominant: that Democrats are likely to gain control of the House and Republicans hold the Senate, if not expand their majority there. That narrative is based largely on national polls, and caution should be urged. Pollsters have made a lot of adjustments to hopefully correct what they got wrong in 2016, but they can't tell you precisely who is going to show up to vote.

What's more, there have been far fewer statewide and district-specific surveys than in past midterm elections. And, as it is, there are data both parties can take solace in that buoy their respective cases. So everyone should be prepared for surprises — because there always are some. That's the beauty of campaigns and voting.

Here are four scenarios for how election night might play out and what each could mean.

1. Democrats win the House, and Republicans hold the Senate

This is the most likely outcome, based not just on the polls but also on conversations with strategists in both parties. But they urge caution, because the races in the many districts across the country that are up for grabs are still very close.

How it would happen: Forget the polls; Democrats are favored to take back the House for more reasons than that. There have been a record number of retirements, reducing the built-in advantage incumbents tend to have; record numbers of candidates, especially Democratic women, have run for public office; Democrats won the off-year elections in Virginia and New Jersey; they won or fared better than expected in special elections across the country; there was high primary turnout for Democrats in many states; and there is very high early voting turnout.

And just look at how wide the playing field is — Democrats need to pick up 23 seats to take back the House, and they are targeting some 80 Republican-held seats. Republicans are competing in just eight held by Democrats. That right there is and has been a huge flashing red light for the GOP. So many of those races are running through the suburbs, where independents and wealthy, college-educated women live, both of which have consistently in polling said they disapproved of the job the president is doing and prefer to vote for a Democrat in their district.

One other overlooked number from the last NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll: Just 54 percent of Republican women who are registered voters said they were very enthusiastic about voting in this election. Compare that with 78 percent of Republican men who are registered voters. And where do a lot of those women live? The suburbs. If GOP women, an important group that Republicans need to bolster them, stay home, that's one way Democrats clean up in the House.

In the Senate, on the other hand, Republicans have a very favorable landscape and are competing in conservative states held by Democrats. The fundamentals favor the GOP in these states, and if Republicans win where they should win, they will hold the Senate.

What it would mean: This would be a huge win for Democrats, as they'd be able to gum up Trump's agenda and begin to investigate his administration, something the GOP has not done very much of. In the Senate, Republicans could still approve federal judges and Trump Supreme Court nominees, but if they want to get any big legislation done they're going to have to negotiate with Democrats in the House, and possibly a Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Democrats feel they need to limit the losses in the Senate. If they can hold Republicans to net even, keeping the Senate at 51-49, or maybe lose a net of one seat, then they will be very happy. They have a much more favorable Senate landscape in 2020 and believe they will be able to take back the Senate then.

2. Republicans hold the House and Senate

This would be a huge win for the GOP.

How it would happen: A record turnout is expected Tuesday — perhaps higher than any time in the past 50 years for a midterm — but, as in 2016, Trump voters would have to dominate. Rural voters would have to turn out at higher-than-expected rates, causing the polls to be wrong (again). Meanwhile, young voters and Latinos would have to stay home. (It is supposed to rain on the East Coast Tuesday, which could depress low-propensity-voter turnout.)

All of those close House races would have to tip Republicans' way, something that's very possible given the conservative lean of those districts and the distrust of the media, purposefully stoked by the president. And who pays for polls for the most part? Big media organizations.

Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Wong/Getty Images Alex Wong/Getty Images

What it would mean: President Trump and Republicans would step on the gas, validated by an election cycle dominated by negative news coverage and polling that said the GOP had its back against the wall. The Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) would very likely be repealed once and for all. And Trump could set his sights on ousting Attorney General Jeff Sessions and other key figures at the Justice Department, possibly ending the department's investigation of Russia's attack on the 2016 election.

What's more, Trump's strategy of demonizing immigrants would have worked — again. That was rewarded, and what message would that send? He is only going to do more of it between Wednesday and November 2020 when he stands for re-election.

It would also be yet another reckoning for pollsters and media organizations that pay for the surveys. The polls currently show Democrats with a razor-thin, but consistent advantage heading into Election Day. But if the polls are wrong, it should induce more than a shoulder shrug from outlets that conduct them and the news media organizations that report on them.

3. Democrats win both the House and Senate

This is not seen as the likeliest of scenarios, but it's not out of the realm of possibility either. It would very likely mean a massive wave and a massive shift against Trump and Republicans tied to him nationally.

A lot would have to happen, especially in the Senate, for this to happen.

How it would happen: The path for Democrats in the House is through the suburbs, as in Scenario 1. That doesn't change. But for Democrats to pull this off in the Senate, not only would voters have to side with Democratic incumbents in conservative states, but Democratic challengers would have to win in places like Nevada and Arizona, and possibly Tennessee and Texas.

What it would mean: It would be a repudiation of Trump and the Republicans tied to him nationwide. It would have to trigger a degree of soul-searching — in at least some Republican corners.

Trump would be faced with the choice of moderating and working with Democrats or being a lame-duck president starting in January 2019 when a new Democratic Congress is sworn in — as talk ramps up about Democratic 2020 challengers.

4. Overtime

It's very possible control of both the House and Senate will not be clear on election night.

Enlarge this image toggle caption Joe Sohm/Visions of America/UIG via Getty Images Joe Sohm/Visions of America/UIG via Getty Images

How it would happen: There are a half-dozen congressional races in California, for example, that are very close heading into Election Day. It's possible those races are so close they will not be called on election night. They might not be called for days and possibly weeks later, especially because the vote there is counted slowly.

Additionally, early and absentee ballots can get counted slowly and there is growing concern that many voters' absentee and mailed ballots could be rejected. In 2016, to the surprise of many, 319,000 absentee ballots were rejected for one reason or another.

In the Senate, depending on how results from other races shake out, there is the possibility that control is not known on election night or for weeks after. Specifically, it could all come down to Mississippi. There, no candidate is polling above 50 percent heading into Election Day, and if no one gets at least 50 percent, the race heads to a runoff three weeks later.

What it would mean: Imagine a scenario in which Democrats lead 50-49 on Election Day in the Senate, and the eyes of the country — and the deep pockets of out-of-state money — descend on Mississippi. The consequences would be enormous, the rancor pitched and the tension thick. </s> WASHINGTON: America’s Electoral College on Monday confirmed Donald Trump’s election as the 45th president of the United States, unswayed by a desperate bid by die-hard opponents to bar the Republican’s path to the White House.

Six weeks after his upset victory over the Democrat Hillary Clinton, Trump sailed as expected past the 270 votes needed to make his victory official according to US media, clearing the way for him to succeed Barack Obama on January 20.

“We did it!” the 70-year-old billionaire tweeted after the results came in. “Thank you to all of my great supporters, we just officially won the election (despite all of the distorted and inaccurate media).”

In a statement released by his team, the president-elect welcomed the “overwhelming vote” in his favor, while reaching out to the Democrats who sought against the odds to block him.

“With this historic step we can look forward to the bright future ahead,” he said. “I will work hard to unite our country and be the president of all Americans.”

Under normal circumstances, the college vote is a little-watched, rubber stamp formality in which electors — most of them party members — officially cast ballots for the candidate that won the popular tally in their state.

This time, however, the divisive nature of the campaign, Trump’s provocative personality, and Clinton’s lead of nearly three million votes in the popular tally combined to raise the stakes.

The Electoral College vote works like this: when US voters cast ballots on November 8, they did not directly elect the president but rather 538 electors charged with translating their wishes into reality.

Democratic activists casting the Republican as a threat to the nation staged a vocal, weeks-long campaign urging electors to break ranks and refuse to vote for him.

To bar Trump’s road to the White House, they needed to convince at least 37 Republican electors to abandon their candidate.

The odds of that happening were considered next to none.

According to a New York Times tally, a total of seven so-called “faithless” electors defected for someone else than their party’s nominee, the biggest number ever.

In Washington state, three of the state’s 12 electoral votes went to former Republican secretary of state Colin Powell and a fourth went to Faith Spotted Eagle, a Native American leader who helped block the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines.

An elector in Hawaii cast a vote for Senator Bernie Sanders, Clinton’s opponent in the Democratic primaries. Two Texas Republican electors defected, one voting for former representative Ron Paul and another for Ohio Governor John Kasich.

One Texas Republican elector, Christopher Suprun, had publicly said he would not vote for Trump, arguing he is unqualified to be president for reasons including conflicts of interest created by his vast overseas business holdings.

Suprun says he received death threats as a result.

An online petition urging electors to reject Trump collected some five million supporters. Hollywood stars including Martin Sheen recently released a video to goad electors to dump Trump.

Undeterred by their outside chance of success, protesters rallied Monday at statehouses from Pennsylvania to Texas to Utah as electors gathered across the country to cast their votes.

In Wisconsin, where Trump carried a thin margin that was key to propelling him into the Oval Office, a few protesters chanted “Shame!” as the state’s 10 electoral votes for Trump were announced, the Times reported.

“I feel the fate of our nation is at stake here,” protester Ray-Ellen Kavey, 68, told The Washington Post outside the capitol building of the Rust Belt state of Pennsylvania.

“I know nothing will come of this, but my conscience won’t let me do any less.”

In New York, former president Bill Clinton cast one of the state’s 29 electoral votes for his wife.

“I’ve never cast a vote I was prouder of,” he was quoted as saying by the Post.

The Republican National Committee welcomed the result — and urged Democrats to accept Trump’s victory once and for all.

“This historic election is now officially over,” RNC co-chair Sharon Day said in a statement. “For the good of the country, Democrats must stop their cynical attempts to undermine the legitimacy of this election.”

The anti-Trump movement gained further momentum in recent days amid the uproar over allegations of Russian hacking aimed at swaying the vote in favor of the Republican.

Even in the unlikely event that Trump had lost the Electoral College vote, it would have been up to the House of Representatives — controlled by Republicans — to designate the successor to President Barack Obama.

The final vote result will be formally announced in the US Congress on January 6, two weeks before the next president is to be inaugurated. AFP </s> UW-Eau Claire students flocked to the polls on Tuesday to vote in one of the most divided and controversial elections of our time.

To say the least, I didn’t see that coming.

At first, it was somewhat of a joke — haha, Donald Trump as president. Wouldn’t that be funny?

But now he is. And it’s not so funny anymore.

I won’t delve into what we already know; that Trump is a misogynistic, egotistical bigot.

I won’t even say I believe American citizens chose the wrong candidate because it doesn’t matter anymore. The deed is done. Donald Trump is going to be the next president of the United States. He won, fair and square.

Despite the dramatic outcry on social media (like when Canada’s immigration website crashed Tuesday night), the sun will continue to rise and we will all continue with our lives.

There are numerous concerns regarding how Trump will handle his presidency and how the public will react to his inauguration. But in the meantime, let’s acknowledge that people actually went out and voted for the candidate of their choice. That’s how the democratic process works and last night, it did its job.

This year’s election was one of the highest on record, almost surpassing the record voter turnout rate in 2008. In addition, Wisconsin also had one of the highest voter turnout rates, so be proud.

But what was most surprising was how far off pollsters were in predicting the outcome of the election. I woke up Tuesday morning confident that Hillary would win, but by the end of that very same evening, I’m sure many of us were scratching our heads.

Perhaps this polling error was the biggest wake up call of this election because it illustrates how politically divided we are as a country. I can only name a handful of people I know for certain voted for Trump, yet he easily defeated Hillary in the electoral college.

In Eau Claire County, Hillary lead the polls with 50 percent of the majority vote while Trump trailed with 43 percent. Yet in surrounding counties, red bleeds on the map.

Although there have been deeply divided elections in the past, this one stands out. The entire campaign process leading up to the election has been extremely controversial in how divided the candidates are on issues that matter to voters.

An issue which concerns me the most given the outcome of the election is one of human rights. Trump’s anti-gay, anti-Muslim, anti-Mexican charade is not an option. Now it is more important than ever to ensure these constitutional rights are still made available to everyone, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity or what have you. I hope Trump receives that message.

Although I didn’t vote for Trump and I disagree with a lot of his stances on the issues, the public outcry on social media is a bit too much for my taste. Facebook and Twitter became a warzone Tuesday night as the election results rolled in. I scrolled through so many Buzzfeed articles condemning Trump while the polls continued to favor his lead. Public anxiety skyrocketed as the financial markets took a plunge once his victory became apparent.

But now that the election is over and people have had the opportunity to vote, it’s time to come together and decide how we are going to solve the issues, given the resources and leadership we have.

Instead of freaking out, I think the best thing we can do is look at the bright side.

No more political ads. News stations will no longer run 24-hour specials of the campaign trail. We can reignite broken bonds with those who supported the opposing candidate. Hopefully, sooner or later, we will be able to breathe a little bit easier when we realize everything is going to work out, because it usually does. </s> besides winning the Electoral College "in a landslide" in the Nov. 8 election: "I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally."

The allegation, made without evidence, comes as Democratic rival Hillary Clinton's lead in the popular vote over Trump has surpassed 2 million votes and is expected to grow to more than 2.5 million as ballots in populous states such as California continue to be tallied.

Clinton's legal team said on Saturday it had agreed to participate in a recount of Wisconsin votes after the state's election board approved the effort requested by Green Party candidate Jill Stein, which Trump has called "ridiculous."

"In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally," Trump tweeted as reporters waited for him to leave his Mar-a-Lago golf resort in Florida to fly back to his residence in New York City.

The U.S. presidential race is decided by the Electoral College, based on a tally of wins from the state-by-state contests, rather than by the national vote. Trump has surpassed the 270 electoral votes needed to win the White House. The Electoral College results are expected to be finalized on Dec. 19.

Trump added he would have won the "so-called popular vote ... easily and convincingly" if the U.S. election was determined that way instead of by the Electoral College.

Before the election, Trump made unsubstantiated allegations that the results of the election might be "rigged" against him.

Since the vote, Trump's message has alternated between appealing for unity and railing against his opponents and the media.

In a video message released ahead of the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday, Trump said he hoped it would be a time for Americans "to begin to heal our divisions" following a "long and bruising political campaign."

Trump has derided the fundraising effort by Stein to launch recounts in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania as a "scam." Those states had voted Democratic in recent presidential elections but all broke narrowly for the Republican Trump in this month's election. The recounts are not expected to change the results of the election.

Stein, who won about 1 percent of the national vote, has said she wants a recount to guarantee the integrity of the U.S. voting system, a push that came after some experts raised the possibility that hacks could have affected the results.

Democratic President Barack Obama's administration has said there is no evidence of electoral tampering, but experts have said that the only way to verify the results are accurate is to conduct a recount.

Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence have a series of meetings in New York on Monday to interview potential Cabinet members and other advisers. Trump takes office on Jan. 20. </s> The allegation, made without evidence, comes as Democratic rival Hillary Clinton's lead in the popular vote over Trump has surpassed 2 million votes and is expected to grow to more than 2.5 million as ballots in populous states such as California continue to be tallied.

Clinton's legal team said on Saturday it had agreed to participate in a recount of Wisconsin votes after the state's election board approved the effort requested by Green Party candidate Jill Stein, which Trump has called "ridiculous."

"In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally," Trump tweeted as reporters waited for him to leave his Mar-a-Lago golf resort in Florida to fly back to his residence in New York City.

The U.S. presidential race is decided by the Electoral College, based on a tally of wins from the state-by-state contests, rather than by the national vote. Trump has surpassed the 270 electoral votes needed to win the White House. The Electoral College results are expected to be finalized on Dec. 19.

Trump added he would have won the "so-called popular vote ... easily and convincingly" if the U.S. election was determined that way instead of by the Electoral College.

Before the election, Trump made unsubstantiated allegations that the results of the election might be "rigged" against him.

Since the vote, Trump's message has alternated between appealing for unity and railing against his opponents and the media.

In a video message released ahead of the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday, Trump said he hoped it would be a time for Americans "to begin to heal our divisions" following a "long and bruising political campaign."

Trump has derided the fundraising effort by Stein to launch recounts in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania as a "scam." Those states had voted Democratic in recent presidential elections but all broke narrowly for the Republican Trump in this month's election. The recounts are not expected to change the results of the election.

Stein, who won about 1 percent of the national vote, has said she wants a recount to guarantee the integrity of the U.S. voting system, a push that came after some experts raised the possibility that hacks could have affected the results.

Democratic President Barack Obama's administration has said there is no evidence of electoral tampering, but experts have said that the only way to verify the results are accurate is to conduct a recount.

Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence have a series of meetings in New York on Monday to interview potential Cabinet members and other advisers. Trump takes office on Jan. 20. (Reporting by Roberta Rampton and Dustin Volz; Writing by Dustin Volz; Editing by Peter Cooney) </s> MIAMI - Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton entered the last three days of campaigning in the U.S. presidential election with competing events on Saturday in Florida, a swing state that could prove decisive in Tuesday's vote.

Clinton and Trump are making their closing arguments to American voters, crisscrossing the United States in hopes of convincing last-minute undecided voters and rallying their bases to turn out enthusiastically on Election Day.

Opinion polls show Clinton still holds advantages in states that could be critical in deciding the election, but her lead has narrowed after a revelation a week ago that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was looking into a new trove of emails as part of its probe into her handling of classified information while she was secretary of state.

The state opinion polls have found Florida as one of the most competitive among the swing states - those that are hotly contested because their voters can swing either to Republicans or Democrats. The 2000 presidential election was decided in Florida after a dispute over votes and recounting of ballots went to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of Republican George W. Bush over Democrat Al Gore.

The Real Clear Politics average of Florida opinion polls found Clinton with a lead of about 1 percentage point - indicating the race there is a virtual tie.

Trump held a morning rally in Tampa, Florida, where he continued to criticize Clinton for supporting the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, in the wake of announcement that premiums are going to rise next year.

"It's not going to matter because if we win I'm throwing it out anyway," Trump said.

Trump will also campaign Saturday in North Carolina, Nevada and Colorado. Trump told the crowd he will also hold a campaign event in Minnesota this weekend, although one had not previously been scheduled. His campaign confirmed a rally scheduled for Wisconsin on Sunday has been canceled. Minnesota has not voted for a Republican since 1984.

Trump repeated an attack against Clinton that he is more aggressively campaigning because she lacks "stamina."

"Look, I'm here I'm doing five or six of these a day, and Hillary goes home, she goes to sleep. If she wanted to do it, which she doesn't, she doesn't have the energy to do it, believe me," Trump said in Tampa. He had four events planned that day.

Clinton started the day by stopping by the West Miami Community Center, a Cuban American neighborhood, with telenova star Jencarlos Canela, a Miami native of Cuban descent.

She then visited her campaign's office in Little Haiti where there is a large concentration of Haitian-American residents. Clinton was joined by Sybrina Fulton, the mother of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed black teenager who was shot dead in 2012 by a Sanford, Florida neighborhood watchman, George Zimmerman.

While Trump prefers large-scale rallies, Clinton has filled her campaign schedule with targeted appearances meant to court voters in specific demographics. Cuban voters have historically favored Republicans, but younger generations have shifted toward Democratic Party candidates.

Clinton will hold an afternoon rally in southern Florida then head to Philadelphia, where she will appear with pop singer Katy Perry for an evening rally. Clinton has leaned on her celebrity supporters to draw large crowds in the final days of the campaign. On Tuesday night, she appeared in Cleveland with rapper Jay-Z and singer Beyonce.

Nationally, Clinton has held her slight advantage in the opinion polls in the closing days of the campaign.

Clinton leads Trump by 5 percentage points, according to a Reuters/Ipsos tracking poll released on Friday, maintaining her advantage in the national survey even as the race tightens in several crucial swing states.

The YouGov polling estimate released on Saturday found Clinton with a 3 percentage point lead and estimated she would win 293 electoral college votes, more than the 270 needed to win the White House.

The Washington Post/ABC daily tracking poll showed Clinton ahead of Trump by 4 percentage points.

Trump has appeared to be struggling with support from his own Republican Party. Last week, Reuters/Ipsos polling found a majority of Republicans thought Clinton was going to win. This week, however, those numbers flipped and Republicans now narrowly believe he could win.

Fred Reilly, 55, a lawyer from Haines City, Florida, said attended Trump's rally in Tampa and he is concerned that not enough Republicans are rallying behind Trump. He supported U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas during the primary, but now backs the New York businessman who has never previously run for political office.

"I'm extremely, and you can underline extremely, disappointed with many in the Republican Party and the way they've handled this," Reilly said of the party's response to Trump.
Voters in the United States go to the polls for a range of federal, state and local elections, including the highly publicized presidential election between major party nominees Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.