Electoral College Map 2012: Obama Leading Romney By 47 Votes
President Barack Obama may be down in several nationwide polls regarding the presidential race, but the incumbent is up where it counts - the Electoral College.
The national polling average becomes less important on Election Day because the president is decided by the Electoral College, which operates on a state-by-state basis. A candidate must win enough individual states to carry 270 electoral votes, which means electoral map projections are among the most reliable ways to forecast who could take the White House on Nov. 6.
The Huffington Post's Electoral Map forecast gives a 47-vote advantage to Obama. The president is presently projected to take 253 electoral votes, while his Republican challenger Mitt Romney has 206 votes in his pocket. The remaining votes are too close to call and could go to either candidate.
CLICK HERE to check out The Huffington Post's interactive Electoral College map.
The Huffington Post's data breaks down the states and their respective electoral votes as follows:
-Strong Obama: 217 electoral votes
-Leans Obama: 36 electoral votes
-Toss up: 79 electoral votes
-Leans Romney: 15 electoral votes
-Strong Romney: 191 electoral votes
But just like national polls, Electoral College projections can vary widely, and the results are subjective.
While The Huffington Post's data gives Obama a strong lead of 47 electoral votes, his margin of victory is much smaller in national polling firm Rasmussen's electoral map.
As Rasmussen sees the race currently, Obama has 237 electoral votes in his pocket, only 2 votes ahead of Romney, who has 235. That poll shows 66 votes still considered a toss-up.
Rasmussen's electoral breakdown plays out as follows:
-Safe Obama: 172 electoral votes
-Likely Obama: 38 electoral votes
-Leans Obama: 27 electoral votes
-Toss-up: 66 electoral votes
-Leans Romney: 47 electoral votes
-Likely Romney: 21 electoral votes
-Safe Romney: 167 electoral votes
The votes determined to be "safe Obama" and "safe Romney" are not exactly surprises. Obama is anticipated to carry long-time liberal states like California, New York, Massachusetts and Maryland, while Romney is sure to lock up die-hard red states like Texas, Georgia and Tennessee.
