US election poll tracker:. Who is ahead - Clinton or Trump?

Americans will vote on 8 November to choose their next president.

Use our poll tracker to follow the contest between the Democratic contender Hillary Clinton and her Republican rival Donald Trump.

 

                     

50%

Hillary Clinton

                                                                                    44     Donald Trump

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                                                                                       Last updated October 25, 2016

How important are national polls?

It's a tough task to gauge the mood of a nation that is home to more than 300 million people but that doesn't stop the pollsters from trying.
National polls tend to have a sample size of about 1,000 people or more and can track movement and general opinion pretty well.
But the US election is won and lost in swing states and decided by the electoral college system.
This means that polls in states that look like they could vote for either candidate (Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, to name just a few) play an integral role in election projections.

Who is ahead in the battleground states?

We've identified 13 states that can be considered battlegrounds in this election.
The map below shows them and which way they're likely to vote based on data collected by polling resource website Real Clear Politics.