Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are locked a tight race in several battleground states, a look at polls shows. UPI file photos

WASHINGTON, June 15 (UPI) -- At the outset of the general election campaign, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are running neck-and-neck in polls in several battleground states that are likely to decide the winner.

While state-specific polling is still scant, the handful of surveys conducted in the last few weeks show Clinton leading in Ohio and Virginia, while she and Trump are tied in Pennsylvania and each has claimed a lead in one of two surveys conducted in Florida. Trump leads in North Carolina.


Nationally, Clinton holds a 5.5 percentage point lead, according to the Real Clear Politics polling average.

Most of the state-level surveys were not conducted until before Clinton was proclaimed the Democrats' presumptive nominee, but after Trump had secured the GOP's nomination in May. Also, none of the polls were conducted in the days since the Orlando nightclub shooting, which has brought the issues of Islamist extremism, homegrown terrorism and gun control to the forefront of the campaign.

All of the surveys conducted are of registered voters, not likely voters, because the election is still five months away.

Here is a breakdown of state-by-state polls:

-- Florida: The Democratic firm Public Policy Polling conducted a survey form June 2-5 and found Trump with a 1 percentage point lead. Mason Dixon polled Florida voters in late May and gave Clinton a 3-point lead.

-- Ohio: CBS News polled the Buckeye State from May 16-19, and showed Clinton had a 5-point lead.

-- Pennsylvania: PPP is the lone firm to poll here, and scored the race an even tie.

-- Virginia: The polling firm Gravis surveyed voters on May 24, showing Clinton with a 4-point lead.

-- North Carolina: Civitas, a Republican firm, polled from May 21-23, showing Trump with a 4-point lead.

-- Georgia: Not normally included on a list of swing states, the increasing Latino population could make the state competitive for Democrats. A PPP survey of voters in the state showed Trump had a 9-percentage-point lead.