Presidential race Latest polls

Three post-convention polls:

The poll: USA Today-Gallup, national presidential race among registered voters.

The numbers: John McCain 50 percent, Barack Obama 46 percent.

Of interest: This poll shows McCain getting a substantial bounce after the Republican National Convention, overcoming a 7-percentage-point Obama lead before the convention began in St. Paul, Minn., last week. The addition of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to the Republican ticket led 29 percent of voters to say they were more likely to vote for McCain, while 21 percent said they were less likely.

Details: Conducted Sept. 5-7 by landline and cellular telephone, included 959 registered voters. Sampling margin of error plus or minus 3 percentage points.

The poll: Gallup Poll daily tracking results, national presidential race among registered voters.

The numbers: John McCain 49 percent, Barack Obama 44 percent.

Of interest: This poll also shows a gain for McCain following his party’s convention. The Republican’s 5-point lead for the three days after the GOP gathering contrasts with a 6-point edge Obama had beforehand. Gallup interviews nearly 1,000 registered voters each day and combines the results for the three most recent days, separate from its polling for USA Today.

Details: Conducted Sept. 5-7 by landline and cellular telephone, 2,733 registered voters. Sampling margin of error plus or minus 2 percentage points.

The poll: CNN-Opinion Research Corp., national presidential race among registered voters.

The numbers: John McCain 48 percent, Barack Obama 48 percent.

Of interest: The two candidates were essentially tied just before the GOP convention, so this survey shows little change. However, McCain has made solid gains in public confidence in how he would handle many issues, including the economy, gas prices, Iraq and health care. He’s also picked up support for being the contender who can bring needed change and shares peoples’ values. Half still expect McCain to mostly follow President Bush’s policies.

Details: Conducted Sept. 5-7 by telephone, includes 942 registered voters. Sampling margin of error plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Associated Press