The Final Countdown: One Week Until the Election

 

   While Sandy has had most of the media attention over the past couple of days, we are just a week away from a major election which still appears to be a dead heat between the two candidates.
   One final variable in this election will be the government's response to super storm Sandy. FEMA will be under strict observation and scrutiny as Sandy passes through the Northeast this week and its performance could easily alter the result of this close election.
   While Obama had a clear lead at the beginning of October, the polls are now largely inconclusive. Politico shows Romney and Obama separated by just one point in the popular vote while 538 has consistently favored Obama as the likely winner. However, many swing states remain nearly evenly split. Ohio, the most important swing state in this election, leans slightly towards Obama and in the past ten presidential elections, Ohio has consistently voted for the winner of the election.
   Because of the Electoral College's design, a single state such as Ohio can possibly determine the outcome of a national election even though it only has a little over three percent of the electoral college votes.
   Additionally, possible electoral tie scenarios still exist and if a possible electoral tie emerges, the election would be decided by congress and there would no doubt be a huge clamor for reform of the Electoral College.