America could be in for a long night on Tuesday as Florida once again looks close in the presidential election.
Quinnipiac University released a poll on Wednesday afternoon showing Democrat Hillary Clinton with the narrowest of leads over Republican Donald Trump in the Sunshine State. Clinton takes 46 percent while Trump is right on her heels with 45 percent.
The poll does show Clinton with an early lead with 48 percent of those who have already voted backing her while 42 percent are behind Trump.
Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson and Green Party nominee Jill Stein pull 2 percent apiece. When the minor party candidates are taken out of the mix, Clinton is ahead with 47 percent while 45 percent are behind Trump.
"After a two-year campaign which has produced the most unpopular presidential candidates in American history, the election comes down - as it historically does - to a handful of swing states," said Peter Brown, the assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll which had Trump ahead in Ohio and Clinton out front in North Carolina. Pennsylvania
"No one has been elected president since 1960 without carrying two of the key swing states, Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania,” Brown added. “And, this year, North Carolina has been added to the mix. All four of these key states remain close entering the final days.
"Florida, which has the largest cache of electoral votes, is a virtual tie and North Carolina is almost as close,” Brown continued. "Donald Trump's strength is with independent voters."
Both Clinton and Trump are upside down in Florida. Clinton is seen as favorable by 44 percent while 54 percent see her as unfavorable. Trump is seen as favorable by 40 percent while 57 percent view him as unfavorable.
Women go for Clinton 49 percent to 43 percent but men back Trump 47 percent to 44 percent. There is a racial divide as Trump takes a clear majority--58 percent--of white voters while 34 percent prefer Clinton. But non-whites break for the Democrat who takes 72 percent of them while 21 percent of them are for Trump.
"Racial patterns are clearly evident in the Florida voting,” Brown said. “Hillary Clinton is getting about a third of whites in Florida, to Trump's 58 percent. Non-whites, however, break strongly for her.”
Both candidates have nailed down their respective party bases with Trump getting 88 percent of Republicans and Clinton reeling in 86 percent of Democrats. Voters outside the major parties prefer Trump as 46 percent back the Republican while 40 percent prefer Clinton.
The poll of 626 likely Florida voters was taken from Oct. 27 through Nov. 1 and had a margin of error of +/- 3.9 percent.
