Poll: Romney, Obama locked in 49-49 tie
President Obama and GOP challenger Mitt Romney are tied with only a week left before election day, according to the latest Washington Post/ABC News daily tracking poll.
The new poll finds each candidate receiving support from 49 percent of likely voters. That represents a 1-point bump for the president, who trailed Romney 49-48 in Sunday’s numbers.
Romney also has the edge among independent voters who back him 53 to 43 for the president.
{mosads}The Washington Post/ABC poll also finds that the national tracking numbers are mirrored by a tight race in the battlegrounds that will likely decide the contest. Likely voters in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin are also deadlocked, with 49 percent backing Obama to 48 for Romney.
On the economy, the top issue for most voters, 49 percent back Romney to 47 for Obama.
The poll shows continuing trouble for the president over his economic policies, with 33 percent saying they are worse off financially than they were when Obama took office. Twenty percent say they are better, with nearly half seeing little change.
Independents by 2 to 1 say they are not better off than they were four years ago, with 18 percent seeing an improvement, 36 percent saying their situation has worsened and 45 percent saying they are in the same shape.
Likely voters say Obama rather than Romney better understands the economic problems of people in the country by 50 to 44.
However, voters also believe Obama would do more to favor the middle class than the wealthy, with independents saying Romney’s policies would more aid the rich more by 48 to 38 percent. Sixty-four percent of independents say Obama would favor the middle class.
Registered voters give Obama a net positive on his performance as president with 51 percent approving and 46 disapproving.
Obama has a slight edge in voter enthusiasm, with 96 percent of his supporters saying they were “very” or “somewhat” enthusiastic about voting for him. Ninety-four percent of Romney supporters showed similar enthusiasm.
The Post/ABC survey is the latest in a slew of national polls showing a tight race. A National Public Radio poll released Tuesday put Romney up 1 point with 48 percent support with likely voters to Obama’s 47. A Pew Research survey shows the candidates in a 47-47 tie. Gallup’s tracking poll, which has shown larger leads for Romney over the last three weeks, puts him up 5 at 51 to 46.
A number of swing-state polls show many battlegrounds still a toss up. In Ohio, a crucial state for both campaigns, a Rasmussen Reports survey showed Romney overtaking Romney 50 to 48, while an Ohio News poll showed both candidates knotted at 49 percent support.
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The Post/ABC poll was conducted from Oct. 25-28 and has a 3.5 percent point margin of error.
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