President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are virtually tied in Florida, according to a new WPTV/FLDemocracy poll released Sunday.

According to the survey, conducted by Public Policy Polling, Romney holds a 48 percent to 47 percent advantage among likely voters in the state with four percent still undecided.

Independents in Florida are evenly split between the two candidates, with Obama garnering 47 percent to Romney’s 46 percent.

 By a 50 percent to 42 percent margin, most Floridians thought Obama won the second debate, although the president’s performance does not neccesarly translate into gains November. In fact, more voters – 34 percent to 31 percent- 

said the debate made them more likely to vote for Romney than for Obama. Thirty-five percent said the debate had no effect on their vote.

Romney’s debate performance had a particularly positive impact on independent voters. Thirty-eight percent of independents said the Hofstra debate made them more likely to vote for Romney compared to 27 percent who said it made them more likely to vote for Obama.

Not surprisingly, a majority of voters say the economy is the number one issue, and here Romney holds a three-point advantage over Obama. Romney convinced 17 percent of Democratic respondents and 54 percent of independents that he’d do a better job fixing the economy. Only 12 percent of Republicans and 39 percent of independents are convinced Obama has the better economic plan.

 In a potentially troubling sign for the Obama campaign, 15 percent of Democrats polled said they intend to vote for Romney. In addition to more crossover-appeal, Romney also earns more support from Republicans than Obama does from Democrats. 

Meanwhile, nine percent of Democrats said they are not too enthusiastic or not enthusiastic at all about their vote. By comparison, only three percent of Republicans said they are not too enthusiastic. 

 Obama holds a five-point lead among women in the state while Romney holds an eight-point lead among men.

Romney—who has struggled to win over Hispanic voters in the past—is actually beating Obama by a 49-to-46 percent margin among Latino voters polled.

According to the survey, Romney is ahead of Obama in Orlando/Central Atlantic coast, the Tampa area, South Central Florida, and Miami/South Florida. The only place where Obama is ahead of Romney is in the North Florida/Panhandle area. 

The party identification breakdown for the poll was 43 percent Democrat, 38 percent Republican and 20 percent independent/other.

The poll of 800 likely voters was conducted from Oct. 17- 18 and has a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points.

–Nora McAlvanah

Tags | Barack Obama, FLDemocracy, FLORIDA, Mitt Romney, Public Policy Polling