国际英语新闻:Polls Show Very Tight US Presidential Race

President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, are engaged in a furious final push for votes with a little more than a week to go before Election Day on November 6.

Both campaigns are going to great lengths to ensure their supporters get to the polls either on or before Election Day.

Public-opinion polls show a very tight race for president and both candidates are targeting a small group of so-called swing states that will determine the outcome.

The southern state of Florida is a frequent stop for both Mitt Romney and President Obama.

“Florida, I believe in you. I’m asking you to keep believing in me," the president said during a campaign stop this week.

Another prime target is the Midwest state of Ohio, where Romney is urging supporters to get out and vote early.

“Because we happen to believe that America faces big challenges and we recognize this is a year with a big choice and Americans want to see big changes, and I’m going to bring it to this country," he told the crowd.

More than 30 states offer some sort of early voting opportunity, and analysts believe that will result in 30 to 40 percent of Americans casting their ballots before Election Day.

The president did well among early voters in 2008 and there are some early indications he is repeating that performance this year. But Brookings Institution expert Phil Wallach expects a tight race right up to the end.

“I think the race has stabilized at a dead heat and I think it’s likely that we will go into Election Day not knowing who’s going to come out the winner,” Wallach said.

Both campaigns are making last-minute attempts to win over undecided voters like Gene Greenberg of Virginia. He is drawn to Mitt Romney’s focus on the economy, but wary of the Republican’s conservative views on social issues.

“I agree with their economic principles," Greenberg said. "Their social principles I don’t always agree with, so I have to make that kind of weighted decision on my own.”

Conservative analyst Scot Faulkner believes Romney has the edge in the final days of the campaign, thanks largely to his strong performance in the first presidential debate. More voters now see Romney as a viable alternative to the president, Faulkner said. And both candidates are now focused on making sure their core supporters get out and vote.