Presidential Election 2012: Obama and Romney in Even Race Less than 24 Hours Before Election
The race to the White House remains a dead heat as Election Day is less than 24 hours away.
President Barack Obama reportedly holds a slim edge over Republican candidate Mitt Romney in the key state Ohio.
According to a Reuters/Ipsos daily tracking poll released on Sunday, of 3,805 polled likely voters, 48 percent said they would vote for Democrat Obama, while 47 percent said they would vote for Romney.
These results are very close to the numbers in several swing states such as Virginia, Colorado and Florida.
"It's really a game of inches," Ipsos pollster Julia Clark said. "It's extremely close, but things look pretty optimistic for Obama, I would say, if you do the electoral math." She continued: "Looking over the last few days, Ohio does seem to be more comfortable on the Obama side."
In Ohio, the most crucial swing state and where 18 electoral votes are on the line, Obama takes up 48 percent and Romney takes up 44 percent. On Saturday, Obama was ahead in Ohio by a point in the same poll.
Sunday's Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that both candidates were tied in Colorado, which holds nine electoral votes, and in Florida, which holds 29.
Obama led Romney 47 to 46 percent among likely voters in Virginia. That state holds 13 electoral votes.
"The popular vote is going to be really on a hair, extremely close, but I think the Electoral College makes it more likely for Obama to be re-elected," Clark added.
Presidency will not be declared on popular votes.
Reuters confirmed that a victory in the White House highly relies on the candidate reaching 270 electoral votes, which is based on the state's population size, not on a popular vote.