Poll: Scott, Crist deadlocked as election day nears

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State Capitol Building in Tallahassee

Now less than two weeks before Election Day, the fierce race between Republican Gov. Rick Scott and Democratic challenger Charlie Crist is a dead heat, according to a poll released Wednesday.

The Quinnipiac University poll shows Scott and Crist deadlocked, with each receiving 42 percent of the vote and Libertarian candidate Adrian Wyllie receiving 7 percent. If Wyllie is not factored in, Scott and Crist were tied at 44 percent.

"For all the money spent on this race, it now appears the winner will be the one whose organization excels at the blocking and tackling of politics --- getting their voters to the polls,'' Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll, said in a prepared statement accompanying the results.

The survey of 984 likely voters was conducted from Oct. 14 to Oct. 20, so it does not take into account the race's third and final debate Tuesday night in Jacksonville. The poll has a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.

The results are similar to a Quinnipiac Poll conducted last month that showed Scott with 44 percent of the vote, Crist at 42 percent and Wyllie at 8 percent. The new poll indicated that 90 percent of voters who said they supported a candidate are unlikely to change their minds before the Nov. 4 election.

Wednesday's results also reinforced that voters have negative views of Scott and Crist, after months of the two sides attacking each other. Brown said voters will be casting ballots for the "lesser of two evils."

"Will nice guys finish last in the Florida governor's race? According to voters, there are no nice guys in this race, since neither Scott nor Crist are viewed favorably," Brown said.

The Connecticut-based Quinnipiac frequently conducts polls in Florida and other states.

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