Mitt Romney leads President Obama by seven points with a majority of the vote, according to Gallup’s latest tracking poll.
The poll puts Romney at 52 percent, ahead of Obama who is at 45 percent.
The poll is based on a seven-day rolling average from October 11-17, during which time approximately 2700 likely voters are interviewed. It has a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points.
Romney has seen a steady increase in Gallup’s tracking numbers since their October 8 poll, when he drew even with Obama shortly after the first presidential debate in Denver, in which he was roundly seen as the winner.
Few presidential candidates have been above the fifty percent barrier in mid-October, but according to Gallup’s historical data, every candidate that has done so by this point has gone on to win.
Other recent polls have shown the race to be tighter. Rasmussen’s daily tracking poll has Romney leading by only two points, 49-47.