PRINCETON, NJ -- Registered voters currently prefer Barack Obama (48%) to John McCain (43%) for president, according to the latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking update.
These results, based on Sept. 29-Oct.1 interviewing, mark the sixth consecutive day that Obama has enjoyed a statistically significant lead over McCain. He has generally been ahead of McCain since the financial crisis intensified two weeks ago, and for much of the campaign since June, apart from the week after the Republican National Convention in early September. (To view the complete trend since March 7, 2008, click here.)
The two presidential candidates will cede the spotlight tonight as their vice presidential running mates, Sen. Joe Biden and Gov. Sarah Palin, debate in St. Louis. This is arguably one of the more anticipated vice presidential debates since these became a regular part of presidential campaigns, given the interest in seeing how Palin will perform. -- Jeff Jones
(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 Sept. 29-Oct. 1, 2008. For results based on this sample of 2,747 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 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.
