Battleground poll: Clinton leads in Pa., NC, Fla.; Trump up in Ohio

Hillary Clinton has an edge over Donald Trump in three swing states, a new poll released Wednesday shows.

{mosads}Clinton has a 5-point lead over Trump in Pennsylvania, 48 percent to 43 percent, the Quinnipiac University Poll found. She also leads him in Florida by 1 point, 46 percent to 45 percent, and in North Carolina by 3 points, 47 percent to 44 percent.

Trump has a 5-point lead in Pennsylvania, though, 46 percent to 41 percent.

Trump likely needs to win at least three of the four battleground states to have a path to 270 electoral votes on Election Day. Florida is worth 29 electoral votes, Pennsylvania counts for 20, Ohio for 18 and North Carolina for 15.

“After a two-year campaign which has produced the most unpopular presidential candidates in American history, the election comes down — as it historically does — to a handful of swing states,” said Peter Brown, assistant director of the poll. 

“No one has been elected president since 1960 without carrying two of the key swing states, Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania. And, this year, North Carolina has been added to the mix. All four of these key states remain close entering the final days.”

The polls was taken among 602 likely voters in North Carolina, 589 likely voters in Ohio and 612 likely voters in Pennsylvania with margins of error of 4 points. 

The Florida poll surveyed 626 likely voters and has a margin of error of 3.9 points.