A new poll released Thursday shows President Barack Obama holding a 6-point lead in Pennsylvania at a time when the state’s new voter ID law continues to thrust uncertainty into the presidential race there.
The latest poll from Franklin & Marshall College — and commissioned by the Philadelphia Daily News — shows Obama leading Mitt Romney among registered voters in Pennsylvania, 44 percent to 38 percent. That marks a dip in support for the president, who led by 12 points in Franklin & Marshall’s previous poll of the Keystone State in June.
The poll comes on the heels of a ruling on Wednesday by a Pennsylvania judge to uphold the state’s Republican-backed voter ID law, which has been the subject of intense criticism. Opponents to the measure contend that the law will have a disproportionate effect on minority voters, potentially upending Obama’s chances there. A top Pennsylvania Republican even suggested earlier this summer that the law could help Romney secure the state’s 20 electoral votes.
The PollTracker Average shows Pennsylvania favoring Obama, who currently leads Romney there, 47.3 percent to 41 percent.
Update: This post was published before Franklin & Marshall released the complete poll, which features results that include respondents who are leaning toward a candidate. With leaners included, Obama leads Romney by a comparable margin, 47 percent to 42 percent.
