Presidential Polls 2012: Obama Trails Romney By One Percentage Point
Only one final day remains in the 2012 presidential election, and even in the last hours before Americans begin casting their ballots, political pundits are looking to nationwide polling data to predict who might come out on top Tuesday.
The presidential race has been hotly contested over the last few weeks, with neither candidate enjoying much of a substantial lead, but according to national polling firm Rasmussen, Republican nominee Mitt Romney has a slight edge nationwide on the night before the election.
In that poll, Romney has support from 49 percent of voters surveyed across the country, while Obama is behind by only one percentage point with support from 48 percent. Of the remaining respondents included in the survey, 2 percent plans to vote for a different candidate, and 1 percent are still undecided about how they will cast their ballot on Election Day.
Rasmussen's analysis of many weeks of data shows just how close this race has been, and how difficult it has been for either candidate to stay on top.
"Since mid-September, after the convention bounces faded, the candidates have generally been within three points of each other on a daily basis," the report said. "Heading into the first presidential debate, Obama had a slight edge. After that debate, Romney had the advantage. For a few days in late October, Romney reached the 50 percent level of support and opened a modest lead. But the candidates have been tied or within two points for each other for the past eight days."
Scott Rasmussen, the founder of Rasmussen Reports, wrote in his most recent political column that the 2012 race for the presidency is unique in that it is still so unpredictable with only one day before the polls open.
"It's somewhat surprising that heading into the final weekend of the election season, we are unable to confidently project who is likely to win the White House," he wrote. "But the race for the White House remains close because of the economy. Most Americans do not feel better off than they were four years ago, but most are not feeling worse off either."
