HOME / election scorecard: Where the elections stand today.

Election ScorecardWhere the presidential race stands today.

If the Election Were Held Today
WinnerLoser

270 Electoral Votes
159 solid, 111 close

268 Electoral Votes
160 solid, 108 close

Analysis Oct. 15: Current map shows Bush can win without Ohio, Pennsylvania, or Wisconsin. His winning combination: Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, and defeat or invalidation of the Colorado ballot measure on splitting its electoral votes. If he gets Wisconsin, he can afford to lose New Hampshire and New Mexico, or one of those two states plus the ballot measure. If he gets Ohio, Wisconsin, and the northern district of Maine, he can afford to lose Florida and the ballot measure.

How to read the tables: The following tables track the latest polls. In the Trial Heat, respondents were asked for whom they would vote. On Job Approval, they were asked whether they approve or disapprove of Bush's performance. On Re-Elect, they were asked whether Bush deserves to be re-elected or not. On Right Direction, they were asked whether things are going in the right direction or are on the wrong track. On Favorable Rating, they were asked whether they have a favorable or unfavorable impression of each candidate.

The sixth table shows the latest state polls and tallies the electoral votes for each candidate if those polls hold true on Nov. 2. Each poll has a margin of error based on its sample size. Pollsters consider a lead significant only if it is more than double the margin of error. If a candidate leads by at least twice the margin, we put that state's electoral votes in his "solid" column. Otherwise, we put the votes in his "close" column.

In the table of state polls, each state is marked dark red, light red, light blue, or dark blue, depending on which candidate is leading (red for Bush, blue for Kerry) and by how much. When a state poll is tied, we leave the electoral votes with the candidate who led in that state's previous poll (since the average of the two polls leans that way), but we indicate the tie by shading thestate gray on the map and in the table. New polls are marked in yellow. If a poll moves a state's electoral votes into a new column, a red or blue arrow shows the direction in which that state has moved, as follows:

Trial Heat Trend
BushKerryNaderMargin
of Error
DatesVoters SampledSponsor/
Pollster
BushKerrySince
4848 1 3 10/12-14 Likely WP0 0 10/11-13
4844 1 2.9 10/12-14 Likely Reuters/Zogby+2 -1 10/11-13
47442 3.5 10/11-14 Likely TIPP0 0 10/10-13
4848 0 3.1 10/10-11 Likely Democracy Corps0 -1 10/3-5
48 45 2 3 10/9-11 Likely CBS+1 -2 10/1-3
48 43 2 3.5 10/9-11 Likely ICR-3 -2 10/1-5
48 49 2 4 10/9-10Likely CNN/USA-1 0 10/1-3
4946 1 3.110/3-7 Likely Battleground-2+29/27-30
46 4543 10/6-7 Likely Time-1 +4 9/21-23
46 50 2 3 10/4-6 Likely AP-6 +5 9/20-22
49 46 1 3 10/4-5 Likely Marist-1 +2 9/20-22
46 46 2 3.5 10/2-4 Likely ARG-1 -1 8/30-9/1
47451 310/3-4 Likely Fox+1 +3 9/21-22
49 44 2 4 10/1-3 Likely Pew+2 -2 9/11-14
45 47 2 4 9/30-10/2 RegisteredNewsweek-4 +4 9/9-10
51 45 2 3 9/25-28 LikelyLA TimesN/A N/A N/A
48 402 3.5 9/22-26 Registered Pew+3 -2 9/17-21
48 42 5 4 9/21-23 Likely Time-4 +2 9/7-9
5046149/17-19LikelyNBC/WSJN/AN/A 8/23-25
47 48 2 4 9/9-13 Likely Harris 0 +1 8/10-15
464633.59/7-12LikelyIBD/TIPPN/AN/A
514613.59/7-9LikelyAPN/AN/A
Bush Job Approval Trend
ApproveDisapproveMargin
of Error
DatesVoters SampledSponsor/
Pollster
ApproveDisapproveSince
43 48 3 10/9-11 Likely CBS-4 +5 10/1-3
47 49 4 10/9-10 Likely CNN/USA-3 +1 10/1-3
5245 3.1 10/3-7LikelyBattleground-1 +2 9/27-30
5046 3 10/7-9 Likely Time-3+3 9/21-23
46 53 3 10/4-6 Likely AP -8 +7 9/20-22
49 48 3 10/4-5 Registered Marist0 -1 9/20-22
5343 310/3-4LikelyFox+3 -2 9/21-22
47 43 4 10/1-3 Likely CBS/NYT-1 -1 9/20-22
53 45 3 10/1-3 Likely ABC/WP+3 +1 9/23-26
49 52 3.1 10/1-3 Likely Zogby+2 -5 9/17-19
53 43 3.1 9/27-30 Likely Battleground 0-2 9/23
50 45 3 9/21-22 Likely Fox+1 +1 9/7-8
49473.19/19-21LikelyDemocracy Corps-1-19/12-14
474839/17-19RegisteredNBC/WSJ008/23-25
5042 39/12-16Registered CBS/NYT0 +19/6-8
Re-Elect Trend
YesNo Margin
of Error
DatesVoters SampledSponsor/
Pollster
Yes No Since
46 49 2.9 10/8-10 LikelyZogby +1 -1 10/5-7
45 51 3 10/6-7 Likely Time -2 +2 9/21-23
48 46 4 9/30-10/2 Registered Newsweek-2 0 9/9-10
50 47 3 9/25-28 Likely LA TimesN/AN/A N/A
47 49 3.5 9/21-23 RegisteredTime -5 +4 9/7-9
455149/9-13LikelyHarrisN/AN/A
Right Direction/Wrong Track Trend
RightWrongMargin
of Error
DatesVoters SampledSponsor/
Pollster
RightWrongSince
40533.1 10/3-7Likely Battleground-1 +3 9/27-30
40 56 3 10/4-6 Likely AP-5 +4 9/20-22
41 53 3 10/4-5 Registered Marist+3 0 9/20-22
42 53 3.1 10/3-5 Likely Democracy Corps+2 0 9/26-28
40 51 4 10/1-3 Likely CBS/NYT-1-3 9/20-22
48 47 3.1 10/1-3 Likely Zogby+5 -3 9/17-19
41 50 3.1 9/27-30 Likely Battleground+2 -3 9/23
42 53 3 9/25-28 Likely LA TimesN/A N/A N/A
43 51 3.5 9/21-23 Registered Time-3 +2 9/7-9
464939/7-9RegisteredTime+1-18/31-Sept. 2
445239/6-8RegisteredCBS+5-37/30-Aug. 1
Favorable/Unfavorable RatingBush TrendKerry Trend
BushKerryMargin
of Error
DatesVoters SampledSponsor/
Pollster
FavUnfavFavUnfavSince
50/4448/43 3 10/12-14 Likely WP +1 -2 0 0 10/11-13
51/46 52/44 4 10/9-10 Likely CNN/USA-2 +1 0 +1 10/1-3
53/4551/44 3.1 10/3-7 Likely Battleground-3 +3 +3 -4 9/27-30
48/4250/34 3 10/6-7 Likely Time-6+4 +7 -8 9/7-9
52/4346/44 3 10/3-4 Likely Fox00-1 0 9/21-22
44/44 40/41 310/1-3 Likely CBS/NYT-2 +6 +8 -3 9/20-22
53/44 52/43 4 10/1-3 Likely CNN/USA-2 +1 +1 -1 10/1-3
57/40 53/41 3.5 10/1-3 Registered Pew+7 -6 -1 +2 9/11-14
49/4652/40 4 9/30-10/2 RegisteredNewsweek-3 +2+4 -4 9/9-10
56/42 48/48 3.1 9/27-30 Likely Battleground+10 -2 +2 9/23
54/46 48/50 3 9/25-28 Likely LA TimesN/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
50/4851/46 3.5 9/20-22 Registered Marist-1 +1 -5 +8 7/30-8/2
52/43 47/44 3 9/21-22 Likely Fox+1 0 -1 0 9/7-8
55/44 51/44 3 9/13-15 Likely GallupN/A N/A N/A N/A
49/46 51/40 2.5 9/11-14 Registered Pew-6 +6 +1 -4 9/8-10
54/3843/4239/7-9RegisteredTime+9-7-10+138/3-5
47/3932/4139/6-8RegisteredCBS+4-5-6+77/30-8/1
Electoral Vote
StateBushKerryNaderMarginSampleDatesSponsor/
Pollster
Bush
Solid
Bush
Close
Kerry
Close
Kerry
Solid
AL

56

3214Likely10/12-14Capital Survey9
AK57305 4Likely9/9-11American Research Group3
AZ4944N/A5Likely10/8-11Northern Arizona U10

AR

52

43

N/A

4.5

Likely

10/4-6

Opinion Research6
CA4049N/A4.3Likely9/30-10/3Field 55
CO5244N/A 4.1Likely10/5-7Survey USA 9
CT445023.6Likely9/26-28Quinnipiac 7
DE384523.9Likely9/22-25WHYY-TV 3
DC11 78 6 4 Likely 9/11-13 American Research Group 3
FL494513Likely10/12-14Strategic Vision 27
GA583723Likely10/12-14Strategic Vision15
HI415144Likely9/7-11American Research Group 4
ID59 30 3 4 Likely 9/8-10 American Research Group4
IL3955N/A3.9Likely10/4-6Survey USA 21
IN5340N/A4Likely10/10-12Research 200011
IA47472 4Likely10/9-12American Research Group 7
KS573524 Likely9/15-18 American Research Group6
KY573833.9Likely10/4-6Survey USA8
LA504214Likely9/17-21American Research Group9
ME4749N/A3.9Likely10/3-5Survey USA 4
MD415624.1Likely10/5-7Survey USA 10
MA36512 3.5Registered9/25-10-5Merrimack 12
MI404813Likely10/12-14Strategic Vision 17
MN4547N/A3Likely10/12-14Strategic Vision 10
MS514214Likely9/14-17American Research Group6
MO4947N/A3.8Likely10/2-4Survey USA 11
MT553425Registered10/7-10Montana State U.3
NE613024Likely9/9-12American Research Group5
NV5046N/A4Likely10/1-3Survey USA 5
NH474714Likely10/3-5American Research Group 4
NJ4646N/A4.5Likely10/8-14FD Public Mind 15
NM504724Likely10/3-6CNN/USA 5
NY3558N/A4.1Likely10/9-11Survey USA 31
NC5245N/A4Likely10/2-4Survey USA 15
ND62 33 1 4 Likely 9/9-12American Research Group3
OH4549N/A4.4Likely10/8-11Chicaco Tribune 20
OK6333N/A3.9Likely10/4-6Survey USA7
OR444924Likely10/9-12American Research Group 7
PA4749N/A2.2Likely10/9-11Quinnipiac 21
RI3656N/A4.1Likely10/9-11Survey USA 4
SC5542N/A4.2Likely10/10-12Survey USA8
SD5839N/A4.4Registered8/24-26Public Opinion Strategies3
TN5839N/A 4 Likely 10/3-5 Survey USA11
TX6037N/A4.1Likely10/9-11Survey USA34
UT642744Likely9/10-13American Research Group5
VT405335Likely10/10-12Research 2000 3
VA4943N/A 4 Likely 9/12-14 American Research Group 13
WA4450N/A3Likely10/4-6Strategic Vision 11
WV5145N/A5Likely9/17-20Gallup 5
WI4347N/A4.4Likely10/8-11Chicago Tribune 10
WY65 29 2 4Likely9/9-11 American Research Group 3

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Photographs of: George Bush smiling by Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images; Bush frowning by Kevin Lamarque/Reuters; John Kerry smiling by Jason Cohn/Reuters; Kerry frowning by David Denoma/Reuters.
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