Who is ahead in the polls?

*Clinton* ----------------------------------------------- *Trump*

Chart represents poll as of today

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.