TWO DAYS OUT: POLLS PUT DEMOCRATS AHEAD — AND TRUMP AT A RECORD LOW

With two days remaining before the November 3 midterm elections, President Donald Trump and his Republican Party are facing growing political pressure, with recent opinion polls putting Trump's approval at a low level and Democrats ahead in the race for Congress.

A CNN poll published on October 21 showed Trump's approval falling to 32%, the lowest level of his presidency in that survey. A Reuters/Ipsos poll published on October 26 put his approval at 32%, after recording 31% on October 19.

The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll found 47% of registered voters saying they would vote for Democratic candidates in the congressional elections, compared with 36% favouring Republicans. Among likely voters, Democrats led 53% to 44%.

A CNN poll published on October 21 also showed Democrats holding a 10-percentage-point lead over Republicans when voters were asked which party's candidate they would support in their congressional district.

Polls point to dissatisfaction with the cost of living and the broader economy as a main source of voter frustration: in the October 26 Reuters/Ipsos poll, 73% of respondents said the cost of living was heading in the wrong direction, while 37% trusted Democrats more to manage the economy, compared with 33% who favoured Republicans.

Opinion polls are only an indication of a possible outcome, not a result — the November 3 vote and the state-by-state contests will ultimately decide which party controls Congress.