POLL: Who should be the next US President? Donald Trump, Joe Biden or neither

The US Presidential election is fast approaching, with President Biden set to face Donald Trump at the ballot box once again in November.

Biden denied his rival a second consecutive term in the White House back in 2020, and both men are now looking to cement their legacies with another four years as Commander-in-Chief.

Polling points to a tight contest, and a handful of key battleground states may prove decisive in the direction the country takes.

Trump, 77, has repeatedly questioned Biden's mental fitness and characterises him as weak on immigration issues, while Biden has warned that his opponent, who is mired in various legal problems, represents a risk to democracy.

This year's race will be unlike any other after Trump's historic criminal conviction in his New York hush money trial.

READ MORE: Trump says trial has been 'very hard' for wife Melania and son Barron

Last week, a jury found the former President guilty of falsifying business records in a scheme to hide hush money payments to porn actor Stormy Daniels, who claims the two had sex in 2006.

Trump denied the affair and any wrongdoing. Following the verdict he lamented the "rigged, disgraceful trial", insisting he is a "very innocent man."

He told reporters the "real verdict is going to be 5 November by the people," in a reference to the looming election.

The big question now is whether Trump could go to prison. The answer is uncertain. Judge Juan M. Merchan set sentencing for July 11, just days before Republicans are formally set to nominate Trump for president.

The charge of falsifying business records is a Class E felony in New York, the lowest tier of felony charges in the state. It is punishable by up to four years in prison, though the punishment would ultimately be up to the judge, and there’s no guarantee he would give Trump time behind bars.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg declined to say whether prosecutors would seek prison time.

It’s unclear to what extent the judge may factor in the political and logistical complexities of jailing a former president who is running to reclaim the White House.

Other punishments could include a fine or probation. And it’s possible the judge would allow Trump to avoid serving any punishment until after he exhausts his appeals.

Trump faces the threat of more serious prison time in the three other cases he’s facing, but those cases have gotten bogged down by appeals and other legal fights, so it remains unclear whether any of them will go to trial before the November election.

The former President insists all the cases amount to a political "witch hunt" at the hands of his political opponents.