Polls all over the map, only 3 states to count

Economy, unemployment tops list across the board

The polls are indubitable. Voters will cast their ballots according to party preference. Experts say observers should pay attention to early returns in three states - Ohio, West Virginia, and Iowa.

In the end, after all the fuss, confusion, expense and hype, only a few electoral votes in a small number of swing states where Democratic victories have been tallied in previous campaigns will decide the 2012 Presidential election.

With polls varying widely on the favorite going into election day, the smart money is pretty sure the winning electoral votes will come from Ohio, West Virginia and Iowa.

The latest polls are skewed left, right, and down the middle, with Gallup showing Mr. Romney a 7-point favorite at 52% to the President's 48%; Investors Business Daily's poll is giving Obama the nod at 48% to 42%; and NBC/Wall St. Journal shows the candidates in a dead heat at 47 to 47 percent, if the election took place today.

In theswing states, Ohio controls 18 electoral votes, Iowa 6 and WestVirginia 5.(click here for an earlier report)

Tonight, same bat time, same bat channels for the third and final debate between Mr. Romney and Mr. Obama originating in simulcast and Livestream from Boca Raton, Florida, with its 29 electoral votes. Though the topics will concern foreign policy, the latest Gallup Poll shows voters are most concerned about unemployment and the economy. 

Democrats, independents, and Republicans all became more likely to name the economy as the nation's top problem in October; however, the increase was sharpest among Republicans, rising 14 percentage points, from 30% to 44%. That contrasts with a five-point increase among independents (from 32% to 37%) and a seven-point increase among Democrats (from 26% to 33%). - Gallup Poll