Latest US swing state polls: Will Trump be able to claw back ground ahead of the election?

GOP nominee Donald Trump has seen a slight bump in several key swing states including Florida.

The Republican now has 44.3 points to Hillary Clinton's 47.6 points, with the biggest gains coming in Virginia – where he is up three points on last week's numbers – and Michigan – where he has jumped up two points.

Trump is also maintaining his lead in Ohio and Iowa, with Ohio in particular considered a key battleground state as it is viewed as something of a predictor for how the election will play out, given the state's diversity.

The swing states with the highest number of Electoral College votes are Florida (29), Pennsylvania (20), Ohio (18), Michigan (16) and North Carolina (15). Voters do not directly elect the president. The system instead has them vote for an "elector" who has announced their voting intention in advance. This makes up the Electoral College.

Despite Trump's slight gains across several of the swing states, Democrat Clinton has held onto her lead in nine of the 11 swing states. She shows consistent gains in the largest swing state, Florida.

Clinton is also holding onto her national lead, and is currently polling at an average of 5.1 points above her GOP rival with 48.3 points to Trump's 43.2 points.

In addition, Democrats are hoping to see gains in traditional Republican states such as Georgia, where Clinton is four points behind Trump. Mitt Romney polled 7.8 points ahead of Obama there in 2012.

Democrats are also pinning their hopes on making gains in Arizona, another traditionally blue state where Clinton is currently polling above Trump, with 43.5 to Clinton's 42 points.

As such, Democrats have invested a significant amount of money on advertising in Arizona, The Hill reported, spending a reported $2m on TV adverts in the state.

Traditional Republican states being seen as viable campaigning ground for Clinton has prompted Democrat hopes there could be a long-term shift in certain areas. The GOP hopes it is just down to this year's candidate selection.

Smaller swing states like Colorado, Iowa, Nevada, and New Hampshire, hold fewer of the important Electoral College votes needed to secure the election. But they remain important in the overall vote.

Although Clinton is making gains in several traditionally Republican states, Trump is beginning to see a slight boost in the polls compared with a fortnight ago, when a combination of scandals including the release of footage of Trump making lewd comments about women, accusations Trump had not paid certain taxes for 18 years, and allegations of groping, saw his numbers drop.