Less than a week to Election Now, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are invading battleground states, trying to reach and persuade undecided voters — including independents — to support them.

Independents are often undecided voters, who can change their allegiance from one election to the next. Statistically, they are a large enough group to make a difference in the results.

In a recent ABC News/Ipsos Poll13% of independents say they are initially undecided. The poll also finds that Trump is running essentially tied with Harris among independents.

ABC News spoke with some of these independent voters who responded to the poll, as well as some undecided or formerly undecided voters who have been in contact with ABC News throughout the year, to get a sense of why they always feel undecided – or what. their decision was finally made.

Some brought up themes and issues that were prominent throughout the election, including the border and abortion.

Phyllis Allen, an independent voter who lives near Mobile, Alabama, and who responded to the ABC News/Ipsos poll, told ABC News on Thursday that she still doesn’t know who she will vote for or whether she will vote for president .

She leans toward Trump, she said, because “when he was in office, last time things were better for me and my family — we had a hard time. It’s hard, but since Biden is in power, it seems like we’re struggling just to pay our bills and buy groceries.” She said she also appreciated the feeling that people were more proud to be Americans when he was president. .

But the way Trump often talks about Christianity concerns her. Trump has often framed his potential presidency as being better for Christians than a Harris presidency, although he has also reached out to other religious groups.

“There are so many religions in the United States, this is what the United States was built on…it’s not right to settle for just one religion,” Allen said.

Allen added that she disagreed with Harris on border issues, believing that if she had trouble paying for groceries or qualifying for food stamps, it was unfair to undocumented immigrants to benefit from government support.

More broadly, she said she thought Harris could have already implemented her policy proposals: “Kamala Harris has been there and she says she’s going to do all this, but she was already in office. Why didn’t she go ahead.” .. Why not now? Why wait until she becomes president?

But Allen aligns himself more with Harris on abortion issues. “Roe v. Wade, they need to reinstate it,” she said, referring to the U.S. Supreme Court overturning the decision granting a constitutional right to abortion in the United States.

“I mean, I don’t personally believe in abortion, but it’s not my decision to tell someone else what they might do,” Allen said, later discussing (but not by name) the story of Kate Cox, a woman who had to leave his home state of Texas abort to protect your health.

“A lot of Christian churches and things like that all say it’s wrong, it’s wrong, it’s wrong – but it’s not their place to tell a woman what’s wrong or right .”

Benjamin, an independent voter from Texas who also responded to the ABC News/Ipsos poll, said he was leaning toward Trump but was still trying to make a final decision. (He asked ABC News not to publish his last name for privacy reasons.)

“I care a little more about my financial situation. And so, back when Trump was president, I remember things being a lot cheaper for me than when Biden was, but at the same time, I don’t I don’t agree with a lot of things, I don’t agree with Trump’s way of thinking,” he said, adding that he agrees a little more with the way of thinking. of Harris, but not on all subjects.

Benjamin plans to try to vote early, although as a student who works part-time at a department store, he doesn’t know if he’ll be able to get to the polls before Election Day.

He said he tries to ignore the news and believes the media is often biased. He therefore prefers to do his own research. He does not intend to vote against the poll in Texas, which is also home to a The hotly contested US Senate race.

What could convince him to turn to Trump or Harris? For Trump, he said, he would have to find something positive that “really tilts me toward him in that way,” while for Harris, he expects she won’t be “too extreme” on issues. such as immigration and abortion. (He said he believed in the need to restrict illegal immigration, but wanted the border “to be more open and make it easier for people to cross.”)

In addition to independents who responded to the ABC News/Ipsos poll, some of the undecided voters who have been in contact with ABC News throughout the presidential election season said they have made up their minds while others still feel conflicted .

Rebecca Bakker, a nursing professor who lives near Grand Rapids, Michigan, had already decided not to vote for Trump, but did not yet feel compelled to vote for Harris or a third-party candidate.

She told ABC News on Wednesday: “I’m more of a libertarian, but I don’t know if voting libertarian is going to hurt or help either.” (Libertarian presidential candidate Chase Oliver is on the ballot in Michigan. Bakker said she is constrained by the party’s platform but not her particular ticket.)

She’s still unhappy with Harris’ stance on the border.

“I think she needs to demonstrate that she’s willing to work with both sides and maybe choke a little against the wall to prevent another influx of illegal immigrants. But she doesn’t even seem willing to bend on this issue or work with the other side,” Bakker said.

Bakker acknowledged that Harris walks “a fine line” on how she can differentiate herself from Biden.

“I think she’s having a hard time separating herself from Joe Biden and making a name for Kamala Harris…I think that’s what’s going to turn a lot of people away from her.”

Conversely, on the war between Israel and Hamas, Bakker indicated that his view is to the left of Harris’ support for continued military funding of Israel.

“I understand that Israel has the right to defend itself, but I am really concerned that they continue to provide it with money and weapons while the Israelis are just killing Palestinians in the hope of find a Hamas bad guy…I don’t understand this desire to continue to finance this particular war because they’re not making any progress,” Bakker said.

Bakker said she might try to vote early, but might be more available on Election Day.

“His closing arguments didn’t really push me over the edge,” Bakker said of Harris. “I’m not going to vote for Donald Trump. That’s not going to happen, but voting for Harris…I’ll probably have to do it. I’ll do it under duress, and I hope we can get through this.” later. But she did nothing to convince me that it was the best option. »

Matthew Labkovski, a Republican voter in Florida who supported former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley in the Republican presidential primary, was still undecided in early October. Right now, he told ABC News in a phone interview Wednesday, he has voted — but “he just felt like I couldn’t personally choose either candidate “, and wrote in Haley.

When asked what Harris or Trump could have done differently to reach voters like him, Labkovski said he wished Harris had chosen Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro as his running mate. Shapiro was among the final suitors before Harris chose Walz.

As for Trump – who he had previously decided not to vote for – Labkovski said he hoped Trump would recognize his shortcomings.

“Maybe an apology, or a sense of remorse for anything – not anything in particular, just that he was, he’s human… things happen because things happen as president, and I don’t want someone who thinks it’s not their fault.

Labkovsky voted at the bottom of the ballot for Democratic Senate candidate, former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, which he said was more of a “wake-up call” to incumbent Republican Sen. Rick Scott, and voted yes on Amendment 4, the proposal that would provide access to abortion. in the state constitution. This would effectively overturn the state’s six-week abortion ban.

“I believe it provides a choice,” he said, adding that as someone considering working in medicine, “I think there needs to be an opportunity for choice and discussion.”

Editor’s note: This story has been updated.