Presidential election is a dead heat though Trump leads Harris big on economy, says CNBC survey

With less than two weeks remaining before the election, the CNBC All-America Economic Survey shows the presidential contest remains a statistical dead heat both nationally and in the battleground states, unchanged from the August survey though there have been some notable movements among key groups.

Nationally, former President Donald Trump holds a 48%-46% lead over Vice President Kamala Harris, within the poll's 3.1% margin of error and unchanged from August. In the seven battleground states, Trump leads 48% to 47%, within the 4% margin of error for that portion of the poll.

The survey was conducted from Oct. 15-19 and had a total sample of 1,000 voters nationwide. The nationwide sample included 186 voters from the battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. An additional 400 voters were interviewed in those states for a total sample of 586 from battleground states.

Both nationally and in the battlegrounds, economic issues remain the most important concern for voters. Trump holds commanding leads among voters who prioritize inflation, the economy and addressing the needs of the middle class. By a 42% to 24% margin, voters say they will be better off financially if Trump wins, with 29% saying their financial position wouldn't change no matter who is elected. Voters who say inflation and the cost of living and the economy overall are the top issues favor Trump by 13 points. Inflation has remained the top issue throughout the election cycle.

"Even as the data show inflation has theoretically been slowing down, it has become more important in people's minds over the course of the last three quarters, not less important," said Jay Campbell, partner at Hart Research, the