(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Democrat Barack Obama is still leading Republican John McCain in this year’s United States presidential race, according to a poll by CBS News and the New York Times. 45 per cent of respondents would support the Illinois senator, while 39 per cent would vote for the Arizona senator.

16 per cent of respondents are undecided. Support for Obama fell by three points since late May, while backing for McCain dropped by the same margin.

On Jul. 18, McCain criticized Obama’s tenure in the U.S. Senate, saying, "All I said was his voting record (...) is more to the left than the announced Socialist in the United States Senate, Bernie Sanders of Vermont."

In American elections, candidates require 270 votes in the Electoral College to win the White House. In November 2004, Republican George W. Bush earned a second term after securing 286 electoral votes from 31 states. Democratic nominee John Kerry received 252 electoral votes from 19 states and the District of Columbia.

Bush is ineligible for a third term in office. The presidential election is scheduled for Nov. 4.

Polling Data

If the 2008 presidential election were being held today and the candidates were Barack Obama, the Democrat, and John McCain, the Republican, would you vote for Barack Obama or John McCain?

Source: CBS News / The New York Times
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,796 American adults, conducted from Jul. 7 to Jul. 14, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.

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