POLITICS -- October 8, 2012 at 6:55 PM EDT
Skew Correction #Gallup Poll change in the poll method will "wipe out" the #Obama lead old 50-45 to 47-47
Former Gov. Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama are virtually tied among likely voters, a new Gallup daily tracking poll will show, according to USA Today's Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page.
In previous Gallup daily polling including on Monday, Obama has held a 5 percentage-point lead among registered voters. But the Gallup poll to come Tuesday will report results from a smaller pool among those voters, those who are likely to vote. That change in the poll's method will "wipe out" the president's lead, Page said.
"Republicans are more energized and more likely to actually go and vote," she added.
Page discussed the poll results with Margaret Warner on the PBS NewsHour Monday. Gallup will release the full poll results at 1 p.m. Tuesday.
The Gallup poll will bolster a turn in the race where recent numbers show Romney closing the gap between he and Mr. Obama after a strong debate performance. In other polls Monday, the Pew Research Center reported a swing that put Romney up 49 percent to Obama's 45 percent support among likely voters.
Gallup partners with USA Today on some polls, but not the daily tracking. Page and Frank Newport, Gallup's editor-in-chief, will analyze the poll results tonight in a web video on Gallup.com.
