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AP poll puts McCain nearly tied with Obama

COMBINED NEWS SERVICES

October 23, 2008

While most national polls continue to have Barack Obama holding a statistically significant lead over John McCain, one survey released yesterday showed McCain within one percentage point of his Democratic rival.

The latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News and Pew Research Center polls out yesterday both put Obama ahead by double digits, but an Associated Press-GfK poll shows Obama with 44 percent support and McCain with 43 percent backing among likely voters. Obama's lead was five percentage points among registered voters in that poll.

The AP poll of 800 likely voters had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. Experts said the unusually tight likely voter outcome was the result of a restrictive approach for defining likely voters that probably excluded many Obama supporters.

Poll by poll

The AP poll of 800 likely voters shows Obama with a slight lead over McCain. Among registered voters, Obama is up 5 points.

AP poll
Taken over five days after the final debate Oct. 15.

OBAMA: 44%
MCCAIN: 43%

800 likely voters were surveyed, margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

Pew Research Center poll
Conducted Oct. 16-19.

OBAMA: 52%
MCCAIN: 38%

2,599 registered voters were surveyed and had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.

Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll
Conducted Oct. 17-20.

OBAMA: 52%
MCCAIN: 42%

Had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.

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