Washington (CNN) - A CNN Poll of Polls compiled and released Friday indicates that 48 percent of likely voters would choose a Republican candidate for Congress if the election were held today, while 44 percent say they would vote for a Democrat.
This newest edition of the CNN Poll of Polls is an average of five national polls conducted from mid-to-late October: Gallup (10/14-24), Newsweek (10/20-21), CBS/New York Times (10/22-26), McClatchy-Marist (10/22-25) and Bloomberg (10/24-26). Approximately 4,500 likely voters were questioned in these surveys. The Poll of Polls does not have a sampling error.
The Republican four point margin over Democrats is down from an eight point advantage in the last CNN Poll of Polls, which was compiled last week. The smaller margin may reflect changing voter opinions, particularly among undecided voters who are making up their minds as Election Day approaches.
The generic ballot question asks respondents if they would vote for a Democrat or Republican in their congressional district, without naming any specific candidates. It is used by many polling organizations, including CNN/Opinion Research Corporation surveys. In the battle for control of Congress, the generic ballot is arguably the most watched polling indicator, but it should not be considered a one-for-all.
Check out CNN's new Polling Center, which provides the most comprehensive polling data covering national questions and the top 2010 election races of any news organization in the political landscape.