PRINCETON, NJ -- The latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking report shows Barack Obama maintaining a 52% to 41% lead over John McCain, unchanged from Wednesday's report.
These results, based on Oct. 6-8 polling, include one day of interviewing after Tuesday's debate in Nashville and come amid continuing consumer anxiety about the economy. Several of Gallup's economic tracking measures are as negative as has been measured at any time since daily tracking began this year. (To view the complete trend since March 7, 2008, click here.)
Signifying a general stability in the race, Obama has maintained a share of the vote between 48% and 52% over the last two weeks, while McCain's share during that same time period has been between 41% and 45%. The next and final presidential debate will be held Wednesday, Oct. 15 at Hofstra University in New York. -- Frank Newport
(Click here to see how the race currently breaks down by demographic subgroup.)
Survey Methods
For the Gallup Poll Daily tracking survey, Gallup is interviewing no fewer than 1,000 U.S. adults nationwide each day during 2008.
The general-election results are based on combined data from Oct. 6-8, 2008. For results based on this sample of 2,761 registered voters, the maximum margin of sampling error is ±2 percentage points.
Interviews are conducted with respondents on landline telephones (for respondents with a landline telephone) and cellular phones (for respondents who are cell phone only).
In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.