NEW ZOGBY STATE POLLS
The polls, conducted by John Zogby Oct 27-28, showed how fiercely the election is being conducted and how even slight changes could tip the presidency either to Bush, the governor of Texas, or to Gore.
Highlights of the polls:
-- Gore leads by 5 percentage points in Florida which most analysts believe is a must-win state for Bush. That is still well within the statistical margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.
-- Bush leads by 11 points in Tennessee, outside the margin. He also, surprisingly, has a 7-point lead in Pennsylvania, where Gore had led comfortably a month ago.
-- The two are tied in Michigan and Gore has a statistically insignificant 2-point lead in Missouri and a 4-point lead in Washington state, where Green Party candidate Ralph Nader (news - web sites) is eating into his support with 7 percent.
-- Bush is only 3 points ahead in Ohio, which leans Republican. Gore is 6 points ahead in Wisconsin and 7 ahead in Illinois.
In total, 153 votes in the Electoral College are up for grabs in these nine states. At the moment, Gore would win 80, Bush would take 55 and Michigan's 18 votes cannot be given to either candidate.
A total of 270 votes are needed to be elected president. Most analysts believe both candidates have secured around 200, leaving some 138 to be fought over.
Reuters and MSNBC will continue to poll these nine state every day up to the election, adding 200 likely voters to the sample each day.
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