Poll: Obama and Romney statistically tied in Ohio, Colorado and Virginia

President Obama and Mitt Romney are statistically tied in the critical battleground states of Ohio, Colorado and Virginia, according to a survey from Purple Strategies released Friday.

In Ohio, Obama takes 46 percent over Romney at 44. Obama led the same poll last month by 4 points.
 
{mosads}Purple is the latest polling outlet to cite a big lead for Obama, 26 points, among those who say they have already voted. According to a Time magazine poll released earlier this week, which showed Obama at 49 percent and Romney at 44 percent, Obama led by a 2-1 ratio among those that have already voted, 60 percent to 30 over Romney.
 
After holding an early lead in the Buckeye State, the president is trying to hold on, and presently leads Romney 48 percent to 46 percent, according to the Real Clear Politics average of polls in Ohio.
 
Ohio is lining up to be a toss-up state with a high likelihood of swinging the election. It’s especially important for Romney, who is generally considered to have a narrower path to victory through the Electoral College. No Republican has ever lost Ohio and gone on to win the presidency.
 
Purple also shows the race tightening in Colorado, with Obama taking 47 percent support over Romney at 46 percent. The president led the same poll last month by 3 points. 
 
In Colorado, Purple found Romney holding a 6-point early voting advantage. The GOP challenger is edging Obama in the state 48.2 percent to 47.6 percent, according to the RCP average.
 
And in Virginia, Romney has pulled into a tie with Obama at 47 percent, after trailing last month by 3 percentage points. The RCP average shows Romney ahead in Virginia 48.2 percent to 46.8 percent.

Romney is buoyed in the polls by a better favorability rating, although
he’s still underwater. Forty-four percent of those polled said they have a favorable
view of the GOP candidate, compared to 49 percent unfavorable, but that’s up from 38
positive and 52 negative last month.

Republicans are increasingly confident Romney will take the swing states Virginia, Florida and North Carolina. Democrats, meanwhile, remain optimistic Obama will hold on to Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. That leaves five states up for grabs: Ohio, Colorado, Nevada, New Hampshire and Iowa.
 
The Purple poll has a 3-point margin of error.