Poll: Biden ahead in Wisconsin and Michigan as coronavirus cases surge in the Midwest

A new ABC News/Washington Post poll released Wednesday shows former Vice President Joe Biden with a 7-point lead in Michigan and 17-point lead in Wisconsin against President Trump just days ahead of the general election.

Why it matters: Both swing states are vital for the candidates — but particularly for Trump, who's been floundering in state and national polling for weeks. Moreover, the surge for Biden comes as both Michigan and Wisconsin grapple with rising coronavirus case numbers as America approaches a potential winter wave of positive tests.

• Wisconsin is third in the nation per capita for COVID-19 cases. The state has also seen a 112% spike in deaths in the last two weeks.
• The White House has struggled with its own COVID-19 breakouts in recent weeks, including approximately a half-dozen cases stemming from the Vice President's staff earlier this month. Trump himself and first Lady Melania Trump also had the coronavirus.

Of note: Trump won both Michigan and Wisconsin in 2016.

Between the lines: There's seemingly little that can change voters' course at this point. Due to pandemic concerns, millions of Americans have already cast their ballots by mail or voted early in order to avoid crowded polls on Nov. 3.

• Surveys repeatedly show few undecided voters compared to previous presidential elections.

The poll was conducted from Oct. 20-25 and surveyed "902 Michigan registered voters, including 789 likely voters; and 906 Wisconsin registered voters, including 809 likely voters," ABC reports. "Results have margins of sampling error of 3.5 percentage points among registered voters and 4.0 among likely voters in both states, including design effects."