Ohio Presidential Election Poll Roundup - 2012: Obama Holds The Lead, But Can He Maintain It?

Ohio, a swing state with 18 electoral votes, has become a highly critical state this election season, forcing President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney to barrage voters there with campaign ads and a few scheduled rallies. Recent polls show that Obama holds a slight lead over the GOP candidate, with RealClearPolitics giving him a 2.1-point overall lead.

The most recent poll, released by Rasmussen Reports on Tuesday, found that the two candidates were tied among Ohio's likely voters at 48 percent. The report also revealed that two percent of likely voters plan to vote for a third party candidate and three percent continue to be undecided.

However, other polls show that the Democratic incumbent holds a steady lead with as much as a five-point advantage recorded in two polls.

A TIME Magazine poll, also released on Tuesday, revealed that the president holds a five-point lead over Romney among Ohio voters, 49 percent to 44 percent. The poll noted that while the two candidates are tied at 45 percent among Ohioans who have yet to vote, the president holds an overwhelming two-to-one lead over Romney among early voters, 60 percent to 30 percent.

Polls by SurveyUSA, PPP, CBS News/Quinnipiac and Fox News, released earlier this month also show the president in the lead with margin leads between one to five percentage points. Polls released by Suffolk University and Gravis Marketing earlier this month, showed the two candidates were tied among voters at 47 percent in each poll.

According to TIME, the gender gap in voter preferences among Ohio voters is working in Obama's favor. Obama holds the support of women (56 percent to 37 percent) at a much wider margin than Romney holds the support of men (51 percent to 42 percent).

The president is also attracting 43 percent of white voters in Ohio (Romney leads among white voters with 49 percent), a much higher percentage than he is attracting in other states.

With 12 days left before Election Day, it is still unclear if Ohio will remain in Obama's control. The state voted for President Obama in the 2008 election and continues to demonstrate Democratic leanings in recent polls. However, Obama's small margin lead could easily be erased by Ohioans who have not casted their votes yet. Romney also fares better against Obama among Ohio independents, 53 percent to 38 percent.