Polls portend too-close-to-call New Hampshire Senate race

Two new polls show the U.S. Senate race between incumbent Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and Republican Scott Brown is in a virtual dead heat heading into Election Day.

The final prediction from the WMUR Granite State poll for the race — which Democrats essentially must hold if they plan to keep a majority in the Senate — is 49 percent for Ms. Shaheen and 48 percent for Mr. Brown.

In a poll of 757 likely voters taken between Oct. 29 and Nov. 2, 46 percent chose Ms. Shaheen and 43 percent chose Mr. Brown. Factoring in undecided voters leaning toward a candidate, Ms. Shaheen led, 47 percent to 45 percent. The margin of error for the survey is plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.

Meanwhile, the final automated survey from the New England College Polling Center has Mr. Brown up by less than a percentage point, 48.7 percent to 48.2 percent. The poll of 1,526 likely voters was taken from Oct. 31-Nov. 1 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.51 percentage points.

“With a race this close, all eyes turn to the little things,” said Wayne Lesperance, director of the Center for Civic Engagement, which includes the New England College Polling Institute. “Do voters who need transportation have a way to get to the polls? Will the lines be long? Will same day registrants have any trouble casting their vote?

“Judging by the number of calls being made this weekend to prospective voters, both campaigns are grasping for every single vote. There is of course one factor campaigns cannot control: the weather,” Mr. Lesperance added.

Ms. Shaheen leads by less than a percentage point in RealClearPolitics’ latest average of recent public polling on the race.