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SALT LAKE CITY - With just 42 days to go until the election, new polls show the presidential race is neck and neck.
However, in several key states, President Obama has an edge over Mitt Romney. And since a candidate needs 270 electoral votes to land the presidency, 8 to ten swing states will decide this race.
Right now, these key states are too close to call. They include Colorado, where Romney spent Monday and where Obama visited last weekend; Ohio, where Romney running mate Paul Ryan made a stop; and Nevada, Romney's destination last Friday. Add in Iowa, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Florida and Virginia - which NBC's Chuck Todd says could be 2012's Florida.
"I can't get Romney to 270 electoral votes without Virginia," he said. "Every time I do the different ways, whether he could lose Ohio, there are a lot of things that could happen - Virginia is the one he has to have if he's going to come up short in Ohio."
An average of the most recent polls shows Obama ahead in all swing states -- by as much as four points in some, and just barely in others.
Utah lawmaker and Obama backer Ross Romero predicts the Latino vote -- currently polling solidly for Obama -- will be key.
"I think it will be the decision maker," he said. "If you look at Colorado, if you look at Nevada, if you look at Florida, these have large Latino populations. I don't think you can win the state without getting a sizable percentage of the Latino community, and it could go either way."
But GOP strategists claim Romney is winning the middle class -- another key voting group. Romney tells NBC he's confident.
"Look, we're gonna win," he said. "There is no question in my mind. We're gonna win."
KSL will be in Colorado next week for the all-important first presidential debate. That's set for Wednesday, Oct. 3.
