Poll: Bush, Gore deadlocked

By Keating Holland/CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- There has been no significant change in the neck-and-neck race between presidential hopefuls Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore, with Bush now winning support from 46 percent of all likely voters and Al Gore getting 45 percent of the vote, according to the latest CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll.

The Green Party's Ralph Nader and the Reform Party's Pat Buchanan are in single digits in a four-way race. Gore, who was down by as much as 17 points in polls before the Democratic National Convention, moved into a virtual tie with Bush immediately following his party's conclave and remains statistically even in Monday's results.

Gore had support from 47 percent of all likely voters in the last poll, taken the weekend after the Democratic convention, and has 45 percent in the current poll. Bush won 46 percent from likely voters in both polls. The two-point difference in Gore's numbers, and the single point separating the candidates in both polls, are well within the sampling error, and it is a mistake to conclude from this poll that either candidate is in the lead. The race was too close to call a week ago and is too close to call today.

The CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll, conducted August 24-27, 2000, consisted of interviews with 1,019 adult Americans, including 664 likely voters.

CNN/USA TODAY/GALLUP POLL

August 24-27

Suppose that the presidential election was held today, and it included Al Gore and Joe Lieberman as the Democratic candidates, George W. Bush and Dick Cheney as the Republican candidates, Pat Buchanan and Ezola Foster as the Reform Party candidates, and Ralph Nader and Winona LaDuke as the Green Party candidates. For whom would you vote?

Bush        46%

Gore        45

Nader        3

Buchanan     1

Sampling error: +/-4% pts

CNN/USA TODAY/GALLUP POLL

August 24-27

Likely voters choice for president:

            Now   Aug. 18-19


Bush        46%       46%

Gore        45        47

Nader        3         3

Buchanan     1         2

Sampling error: +/-4% pts