Democrat Hillary Clinton's lead over Republican Donald Trump declined in Wisconsin from seven to six points during the past two weeks and now stands at 46%-40% among likely voters, according to the final Marquette Law School poll before the Nov. 8 Election.
The margin of error is +/- 3.3 percentage points.
According to poll director Charles Franklin, about 50% of likely voters say they are bothered a lot by the FBI Director's announcement on Friday that his agency would examine more emails to determine whether they show troublesome links to Clinton's time as Secretary of State. The announcement of the new probe came mid-poll.
When it comes to early voters, the poll indicates that 16% of those who responded had already cast their ballot, and the overwhelming majority selected Clinton.
Regarding the Wisconsin race for U.S. Senate, Democrat Russ Feingold's lead over Republican incumbent Ron Johnson has fallen from 46% - 44% in early October to 45% - 44% currently.
People packed into Eckstein Hall in the Marquette Law School, to hear the results of the latest political poll, the final one before next Tuesday's election. Quirin Braam drove in from New Berlin. He says he's voted in many presidential elections, but he's never seen anything like this one.
"I think Donald Trump, the Republicans could have done a better job of putting up a more substantial candidate and it would have made the race more productive," Braam says.
"It's definitely very much like a reality TV show, something I didn't expect walking into my first presidential election and being able to vote."
That's Marquette senior Tristen Shorter; she's majoring in political science. Shorter says this presidential campaign has been an eye-opening experience.
"Being a young person, I would think it would be a little more serious, but it sure has been an interesting election cycle," Shorter says.
But Shorter doesn't expect any surprises in Wisconsin come Election Day. She thinks the latest poll results, featuring Clinton up by six, will end up being close to the final tally. Yet, Poll Director Charles Franklin isn't so sure. He says the presidential race in Wisconsin could tighten again in the final few days.
"I don't think it has much to do with the poll itself as the evolution of the campaign here at the end, that voters who have been on the fence about candidates sometimes break largely in one direction or the other and that certainly could be a possibility," Franklin says.
For instance, Franklin notes that in Wisconsin's primary in April, Bernie Sanders beat Hillary Clinton by a much greater margin than the Marquette poll had shown.
