CNN poll shows Trump marginally ahead of rival Clinton

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton appear to be neck-and-neck in the race to become the next president of the United States, as a CNN/ORC poll shows 45% of likely voters backing the Republican candidate against 43% for his Deomcrat rival.

The final stretch of the respective campaigns got underway on Tuesday, following the extended Labour Day weekend.

Clinton was ahead in the majority of polls following both parties' national conventions in July, but New York tycoon Trump has regained ground despite some slip-ups in August.

Trump appeared to muddle his policies on immigration before unequivocally reaffirming that he would force Mexico to build a wall on its border with the US.

The wife of former president Bill Clinton still appears to hold an advantage in key regions however, such as Pennsylvania and Florida. These swing states are likely to prove crucial in November as the two candidates jostle for superiority.

According to the poll commissioned by CNN, a clear majority of registered voters (59%) still believe that Clinton will triumph over Trump in the election on November 8.

The Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson came out with a 7% share of the poll, followed by Jill Stein from the Greens on 2%.

Johnson's role may be significant, as polls show that he is more likely to detract voters from Clinton, due to his younger voter base.