Expect Florida once again to be the political frontline in November as a new poll shows a tight contest between President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney to take the 29 Electoral College votes in the Sunshine State.

A poll of likely Florida voters taken by Rasmussen Reports shows that Romney takes 46 percent of those surveyed while Obama is right on his heels with 45 percent. While 4 percent remain undecided, 5 percent say they plan on backing other candidates in the race.

Rasmussen polls have found little change in the support of either candidate since Romney won the Florida Republican presidential primary at the end of January. Since polls taken in February, Obama has polled between 45 percent and 47 percent, while Romney has pulled between 43 percent and 46 percent.

The new poll shows that a majority of Florida voters wish to repeal the federal health-care law that Obama signed in 2010 despite the Supreme Court of the United States upholding most of it in a decision at the end of June. The poll shows that 52 percent of those surveyed wish the law to be repealed while 36 percent oppose any repeal effort. According to the poll, Florida voters have firm opinions on the issue, with 44 percent of those surveyed strongly favoring the repeal effort and 29 percent strongly opposed to it. When asked if they believe the health-care law is bad for the nation, a slim majority of those surveyed -- 51 percent -- say that it will be and 38 percent think it will not be.

The poll finds that Floridians believe the 2012 election will have great consequences for the future of the health-care bill. Very few Floridians, 8 percent, think the law will be repealed if Obama prevails in November and Democrats win the U.S. House. If Romney wins and Republicans take over the U.S. Senate, 81 percent of Florida voters expect the law to be repealed.

Floridians believe the economy continues to struggle even as the state unemployment rate declines. A majority -- 53 percent -- thinks the economy is poor while only 6 percent of those surveyed think it is good or excellent. While a third of the voters -- 32 percent -- think the economy is getting better, 43 percent insist that it is getting worse.

The poll also shows that Floridians have little faith that whoever wins in November will be able to turn the economy around, with 39 percent seeing it improving if Romney and the Republicans win in November and 27 percent thinking it will get better if Obama and the Democrats are victorious.

The poll of 500 likely Florida voters was taken on July 9 and had a margin of error of +/- 4.5 percent.



Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.