Raleigh,
N.C. – As the
election grows near, Obama leads swing state Nevada by 3, a poll conducted over
the weekend shows.  50% of those surveyed
stated they would vote for Barack Obama, while 47% would vote for Mitt
Romney.  This survey shows an increase in
likelihood of voters for both Obama and Romney: Barack Obama is up 2 points
from a previous survey conducted in June (from 48% to 50%), while Mitt Romney
is up by 5 from June (from 42% to 47%).

Opinions of
Obama and Romney have fluctuated in the state since June.  Obama’s approval rating from the state has
declined by 1 point (49-48), but Romney’s favorability has increased from 41%
to 46% over the past two months.  Fortunately,
Obama still has his backing from previous supporters in the state.  75% of those who voted for Obama in 2008
still approve, while only 20% of past Obama supporters favor Romney.  This comes with 91% of Democrats in the state
approving Obama’s job performance.

While
Romney’s favorability in Nevada has increased in recent months, 53% of voters
agree that he should release his tax returns for the last 12 years.  57% of Nevada women and 47% of Nevada men
agree that Romeny should release his taxes, and 91% of Democrats in the state
believe this information should be public knowledge.

Paul Ryan’s
and his Medicare reform proposal have mixed opinions in the state.  Nevada voters are split on their opinion of
Ryan, with 45% having a favorable opinion and 46% having an unfavorable opinion
of him.  In addition, 43% support Ryan’s
Medicare reform plan, 47% oppose it, and 11% are unsure.  This comes after Ryan’s recent visit in the
state earlier this month.

“We
consistently find Barack Obama leading in our Nevada polling but it’s by a much
smaller margin than 2008,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy
Polling. “It’s one of the states where he’s fallen the furthest.”

Public Policy Polling
surveyed 831 likely Nevada voters from August 23 to 26.  The margin of error for the survey is +/-3.4%.  This poll was not paid for or authorized by
any campaign or political organization. PPP surveys are conducted through
automated telephone interviews.

Topline results are below.  Full results, including crosstabs, can be found here.

Q1 Do you approve or disapprove of President
Barack Obama’s job performance?
Approve …………………………………………………. 48%
Disapprove……………………………………………… 49%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 2%

Q2 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Mitt Romney?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 46%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 49%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 5%

Q3 If the candidates for President this year were
Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mitt
Romney, who would you vote for?
Barack Obama………………………………………… 50%
Mitt Romney……………………………………………. 47%
Undecided………………………………………………. 4%

Q4 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Paul Ryan?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 45%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 46%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 9%

Q5 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Gary Johnson?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 8%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 24%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 68%

Q6 If the candidates for President this year were
Democrat Barack Obama, Republican Mitt
Romney, and Libertarian Gary Johnson, who
would you vote for?
Barack Obama………………………………………… 49%
Mitt Romney……………………………………………. 46%
Gary Johnson …………………………………………. 2%
Undecided………………………………………………. 2%

Q7 Do you support or oppose Paul Ryan’s
proposal for reforming Medicare?
Support ………………………………………………….. 43%
Oppose ………………………………………………….. 47%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 11%

Q8 Do you think Mitt Romney should release his
tax returns for the last 12 years, or not?
He should……………………………………………….. 53%
He should not………………………………………….. 44%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 3%

Q9 Who did you vote for President in 2008?
John McCain…………………………………………… 39%
Barack Obama………………………………………… 54%
Someone else/Don’t remember …………………. 7%

Q10 Would you describe yourself as very liberal,
somewhat liberal, moderate, somewhat
conservative, or very conservative?
Very liberal ……………………………………………… 13%
Somewhat liberal …………………………………….. 16%
Moderate………………………………………………… 35%
Somewhat conservative……………………………. 21%
Very conservative ……………………………………. 15%

Q11 If you are a woman, press 1. If a man, press 2.
Woman ………………………………………………….. 56%
Man……………………………………………………….. 44%

Q12 If you are a Democrat, press 1. If a Republican,
press 2. If you are an independent or identify
with another party, press 3.
Democrat ……………………………………………….. 38%
Republican……………………………………………… 34%
Independent/Other…………………………………… 28%

Q13 If you are Hispanic, press 1. If white, press 2.
If African-American, press 3. If other, press 4.
Hispanic…………………………………………………. 18%
White …………………………………………………….. 66%
African-American …………………………………….. 10%
Other……………………………………………………… 6%

Q14 If you are 18 to 29 years old, press 1. If 30 to
45, press 2. If 46 to 65, press 3. If you are
older than 65, press 4.
18 to 29………………………………………………….. 12%
30 to 45………………………………………………….. 30%
46 to 65………………………………………………….. 38%
Older than 65………………………………………….. 20%