In a newly released national poll, Vice President Kamala Harris has emerged as the frontrunner, leading former President Donald Trump by a 7-point margin. The poll, conducted by Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) and Braun Research, surveyed 801 registered voters between August 17 and 20.

The results of the poll indicate that 50 percent of voters support a Harris presidency, while 43 percent support Trump. It is important to note the margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points, which means the actual gap between the candidates could be slightly narrower or wider.

Delving into the party breakdown, the poll reveals that 95 percent of surveyed Democrats are backing Harris, along with 38 percent of independents and 2 percent of Republicans. On the other hand, a third of independents, around 33 percent, support Trump, while 95 percent of Republicans and 3 percent of Democrats are in favor of the former president.

One notable aspect of the poll was the inclusion of independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. However, Kennedy Jr. officially dropped out of the race on Friday and endorsed Trump. This development could potentially influence the election outcome, as previous national aggregate polls indicated Kennedy Jr. drawing approximately 5 percent of the vote.

While the FDU poll shows Harris in the lead, it is worth mentioning a conflicting poll from Rasmussen Reports, which found Trump leading Harris by 3 percentage points, 49 to 46 percent. The Rasmussen survey, conducted between August 15 and 21, included 1,893 likely voters and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

National aggregate polls further strengthen the notion of a tight race, with RealClearPolitics showing Harris up by 1.5 percentage points and The New York Times aggregate showing a 2-percentage point lead for Harris. Additionally, FiveThirtyEight and Nate Silver's Silver Bulletin indicate a 3.6 and 4.3 percentage point lead for Harris, respectively.

Aggregate polls serve as a "temperature check" to gauge popular vote support. However, it is important to remember that these polls don't necessarily translate to the 270 Electoral College votes needed to secure the White House. As new polling data is added, aggregate polls are regularly updated to reflect the evolving dynamics of the race.

Newsweek has reached out to both the Trump and Harris campaigns for their comments on the poll results. The race remains highly contested, with both candidates vying for victory in the upcoming election.