### Republicans Express Concern as North Carolina Polls Tighten in Presidential Race

With just six days remaining before the presidential election, Republicans are reportedly anxious about North Carolina's increasingly competitive race. Political analyst and pollster Scott Rasmussen notes that recent polling shows a tight contest between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris in this critical battleground state.

Rasmussen highlighted that although the race is currently too close to call, he would prefer Trump's position. He pointed out that Trump's slight advantage in southern swing states places him in a good position, needing to secure just one of the three "Blue Wall" states, while Harris would need a clean sweep of all three.

However, Trump's lead in North Carolina appears to be diminishing. An AtlasIntel poll conducted between October 25 and 29 and compiled by FiveThirtyEight shows Harris with a slim lead over Trump, 49 percent to 48 percent. Contrastingly, a Trafalgar Group poll from October 25 to 28 puts Trump ahead with 49 percent compared to Harris' 46 percent.

According to the North Carolina board of elections, by October 29, around 40 percent of registered voters in the state—approximately 3.2 million people—had already cast their ballots, primarily through early in-person voting.

Despite expressing confidence, Rasmussen acknowledged that some Republicans are worried about North Carolina. He mentioned that if Trump secures Pennsylvania along with Arizona, Georgia, and Nevada in the South, he would still clinch the Electoral College vote.

The election comes as North Carolina is still grappling with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which struck on September 26. The storm resulted in at least 96 deaths and left thousands without power and water, marking it as the deadliest storm in the state’s modern history with damages exceeding $50 billion. This devastation led state authorities to implement changes in voting procedures, including moving polling locations and altering voting hours to ensure voter participation.

Rasmussen reiterated that predicting the outcome in North Carolina remains challenging. Mark Mitchell, the head pollster at Rasmussen Reports, concurred, suggesting that Democrats should not overlook the state's volatility. He pointed out that polling margins previously showed Trump leading by 3 to 5 points, and early voting patterns suggest a polling error in favor of the Democrats.

Emphasizing the uncertainty of polling data, Rasmussen concluded that any claims of certainty regarding the election result are either deceitful or self-delusional. The available data unmistakably indicates a closely contested race.