PRINCETON, NJ -- If the presidential election were held today, 47% of registered voters nationwide say they would vote for Barack Obama while 43% would opt for John McCain, according to the latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking results.
Interviews for this latest three-day rolling average were conducted July 3 and 5-6. Obama's four-point advantage over McCain matches his average over the past week.
Obama has held the upper hand in voter preferences over the last month for all but three days, with his lead reaching as much as seven percentage points. This essentially spans the time since Obama wrapped up the Democratic nomination.
McCain enjoyed a similar run in March after he clinched the GOP nomination, maintaining at least a slim numerical advantage for 19 consecutive days, though only by as many as four points during this time. (To view the complete trend since March 7, 2008, click here.) -- Jeff Jones
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 July 3 and 5-6, 2008. For results based on this sample of 2,650 registered voters, the maximum margin of sampling error is ±2 percentage points.
Interviews are conducted with respondents on land-line telephones (for respondents with a land-line 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.
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