Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — The U.S. presidential race is now down to the wire, and the candidates are furiously campaigning in swing states to get votes.
So what do all these campaign events mean from people covering the campaign trail? The people who cover rallies in those states get a unique perspective on campaigns, and they shared their thoughts with KSL News.
In the crucial state of Ohio, both Mitt Romney and President Obama have been crisscrossing the countryside. On Friday, President Obama held a rally near Columbus, Ohio. Ted Hart, a political reporter for NBC affiliate WCMH, was there.
Election 2012 State Polls
| Race/Topic | Poll | Results | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio | CNN/Opinion Research | Obama 50, Romney 47 | Obama +3 |
| Ohio | Rasmussen Reports | Obama 49, Romney 49 | Tie |
| Colorado | Denver Post/SurveyUSA | Obama 47, Romney 45 | Obama +2 |
| New Hampshire | Gravis Marketing | Obama 50, Romney 49 | Obama +1 |
| New Hampshire | New England College | Obama 50, Romney 44 | Obama +6 |
| Iowa | Gravis Marketing | Obama 49, Romney 45 | Obama +4 |
| Michigan | Rasmussen Reports | Obama 52, Romney 47 | Obama +5 |
| Indiana | Howey/DePauw | Romney 51, Obama 41 | Romney +10 |
| Nebraska | WeAskAmerica | Romney 54, Obama 41 | Romney +13 |
| Hawaii | Honolulu Civil Beat/MRG | Obama 61, Romney 34 | Obama +27 |
"Voters in Ohio are exhausted from all the campaign ads, more here than any other state. But they also love all the attention they get from the candidates," Hart said. "Mitt Romney and President Obama both had multiple campaign stops in Ohio today, kicking off what looks to be four days of campaigning at a frenetic pace. And while most everyone in Ohio anticipates a close race, election officials are hopeful there will be a clear winner."
Another crucial swing state: Virginia. It's close to Washington, D.C., distance-wise. But it's also an unpredictable world this year for the candidates.
Andy Fox, political reporter for WAVY-TV in Portsmouth, Va., said his is a "battleground state that Mitt Romney needs to win. Barack Obama knows if he can win Virginia, he can shut out Republicans this year. He was the first Democrat to win Virginia since 1964, when he won in 2008. So it's clear that Virginia, with all its big fanfare, is the focus the candidates are centering on."
The closest battleground state to Utah is Colorado — again, saturated with ads — fundraising and rallies.
"The major presidential candidates are spending a lot of their jet fuel bill flying in and out of Colorado, a swing state with nine electoral votes up for grabs," said Brandon Rittiman, political reporter for KUSA in Denver.
"Polling is very tight here," Rittiman continued. "It's a statistical tie, and that's why both candidates think they have a shot to win."
In Utah, the results are not in question: a new KSL-Deseret News Dan Jones poll shows 69 percent of voters favor Romney.
