One poll shows Trump ahead and gaining. Another says Hillary has a substantial lead. What is one to make of this?
First and foremost, the only poll that matters is the outcome of the Electoral College. Yes, you get to cast a vote. No, your vote doesn’t directly elect a president.

This method of selecting presidents requires the electoral college delegates of each state to cast votes for two candidates, as prescribed by Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution and as amended by the Twelfth Amendment to the Constitution. http://ow.ly/wbUM30309gN

Third-party candidates are inherently Quixotic. No third-party candidate has ever won. The founders intentionally designed the process called the Electoral College to prevent chaotic instability as happen in countries with parliamentary governments.
Learn how the Electoral College works via this official link http://ow.ly/1gkM30309r2
So, you may ask, why vote for president if my vote does not directly elect a president? It is the aggregate of your votes that influence delegates. Neither the Constitution nor a federal law requires electors to follow the majority of your state’s vote. Learn more via this official link http://ow.ly/7OAH30309yU
Each and every vote cast for president is important because it influences your state’s electors.
Over time some, generally Democrats, clamor for a popular vote. What’s the downside to the popular vote? Tyranny of the more populous states.
The Electoral College provides a balance between individual votes and the sovereignty of the separate states.
Register. Learn about the candidates. Peer back into history. Consider the consequences of past elections. Then vote as though your life depends on it. It does.
John White
Rockwall, Texas