Bush Moves Ahead in
Electoral Count Poll
Thursday, October 19, 2000
The latest Fox News Electoral Vote Count poll puts Texas Gov. George W. Bush in the lead over Vice President Al Gore.
Bush now holds a 235 to 228 advantage over Gore, according to the poll, with 75 votes still considered "toss-ups." That represents a reversal from last week's poll, which showed Gore with a slim lead.
This week's poll has Bush with 205 "safe" electoral votes and 30 "leaning" his way. Gore polls 92 safe and 136 leaning.
The poll gives safe votes to a candidate who is comfortably ahead in state polling. Leaning votes are counted for states where a candidate's lead is slimmer.
Gore had 250 electoral votes last week that were considered safe or leaning to him, while Bush had 235. There were 53 toss-up electoral votes.
The latest numbers also show Bush shoring up his base, with North Carolina, Ohio, and Kentucky now being considered safe for the Republican candidate.
Meanwhile, Gore's vote base has eroded, according to the poll. California, once considered a safe state for Gore, has now become a lean for Gore. And Washington, Iowa, and New Hampshire are now considered up for grabs after leaning towards Gore last week.
Less than three weeks remain until Election Day.
Popular Vote Shows Tight Race
An NBC News poll taken after the candidates' Wednesday night debate gave Bush a two-point edge over Gore, but still within the statistical margin of error. A Voter.com/Battleground poll gave Bush the same lead, but it was taken before the debate.
In the NBC poll, 44 percent of the respondents said moral and family values should be a greater priority of the next president, while only 28 percent cited maintaining economic growth and 25 percent said both. That marked a switch from a similar poll last month, when more respondents put economic growth as a priority above moral values.
The close race is also being reflected in the candidates' schedules. On Friday, Bush will campaign in New Hampshire and Maine, two states with just four electoral votes each. Pollsters project that Maine is leaning toward Gore but New Hampshire is still a tossup state.
Gore travels to Louisiana Friday, worth nine electoral votes. Though the state has long been viewed as Bush country, the visit will be Gore's second in recent weeks to the Pelican State.
— The Associated Press contributed to this report |
