Obama Leads in Ohio, Close Race in Florida

By: Hillary Crosley | Posted: November 3, 2012 at 11:32 AM

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

With Nov. 6 fast approaching, the presidential race is still tight. In the battleground state of Ohio, President Obama holds a six-point lead over his opponent, Mitt Romney, according to a new NBC News poll, which says that 51 percent of likely voters would re-elect the president. But in the South, the competition remains fierce.

And in Florida, the president gets support from 49 percent of likely voters, while his GOP challenger gets 47 percent. Those numbers are virtually identical to the ones from October, when it was Obama 48 percent, Romney 47 percent.

Both states are two of the biggest prizes in Tuesday's presidential contest. An Obama victory in Ohio, which awards 18 electoral votes, would put him tantalizingly close to getting to the 270 electoral votes needed to win a second term.

But an Obama loss in the Buckeye State – and a Romney win – would place a hole in the president's Midwest firewall.

Meanwhile, Florida, which awards 29 electoral votes, is a must-win state for Romney. A Republican loss there would push Obama past 270 electoral votes – even if the president lost every other battleground state in NBC's current map.

Read more at NBC News.

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