Latest Knight Ridder/MSNBC Poll Shows Bush Ahead in Four 'Red' States He Won in 2000 - Arkansas, Ohio, Missouri, W. Virginia; Leads Kerry in Iowa, Which Gore Carried in 2000 Kerry Ahead In Four 'Blue' States Gore Carried in 2000 - Michigan, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Pulls Ahead of Bush in Wisconsin SAN JOSE, Calif., and SECAUCUS, N.J., Oct. 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The latest results in a new series of election surveys, conducted for MSNBC and Knight Ridder by Mason-Dixon, has found that, on the eve of the election, President George W. Bush and Sen. John Kerry each maintain leads in key battleground states they or their parties won in the 2000 election. Bush leads Kerry in four states (labeled "red" for their color coding on maps) - Arkansas, Ohio, Missouri and West Virginia - he carried in 2000. The poll shows Kerry ahead of Bush in four states (labeled "blue" for their color coding on maps) that Gore won in 2000 - Michigan, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Kerry leads by one point in New Hampshire, which Bush carried in 2000. In Iowa, which Gore won in 2000, Bush leads Kerry by five points. At least 5% of voters remain undecided in each state. Three days before Election Day, the Knight Ridder/MSNBC survey offers a detailed look at the shifting state-by-state battleground where the presidency will be decided. The Knight Ridder/MSNBC survey of 625 likely voters in each of the 10 states was conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research on Oct. 26-29 and had an error margin of plus or minus four percentage points. Following are the poll's top-line results: If the election were held today would you vote for: STATE BUSH KERRY NADER OTHER Arkansas 51 43 -- -- Missouri 49 44 -- 1 New Hampshire 46 47 1 -- Ohio 48 46 -- 1 West Virginia 51 43 -- -- Michigan 45 47 1 1 Oregon 44 50 -- 1 Pennsylvania 46 48 -- -- Wisconsin 46 48 1 -- Iowa 49 44 1 -- Survey Methodology The results are the third and final of three series of swing state polls conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research. These polls measure voter favorability and voter preference for top presidential candidates who appear on the 2004 general election state ballot in key states. The polls included questions aimed at exploring the issues that may determine how undecided voters make up their minds. States included in the poll are Arkansas, Missouri, New Hampshire, Ohio, W. Virginia, Michigan, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Iowa. The poll was conducted between Oct. 26 and Oct. 29, 2004. The margin of error is +/-4 percent. About Knight Ridder Knight Ridder is the nation's second-largest newspaper publisher, with products in print and online. The company publishes 31 daily newspapers in 28 U.S. markets, with a readership of 8.7 million daily and 12.6 million Sunday. Knight Ridder also has investments in a variety of Internet and technology companies and two newsprint companies. The company's Internet operation, Knight Ridder Digital, develops and manages the company's online properties. It is the founder and operator of Real Cities (http://www.realcities.com/), the largest national network of city and regional Web sites in more than 100 U.S. markets. Knight Ridder and Knight Ridder Digital are headquartered in San Jose, Calif. About MSNBC MSNBC is a joint venture between NBC Universal, a leading provider of news and information, and Microsoft, the leader in personal computer software and a major provider of Internet online services. Built on the worldwide resources of NBC News, MSNBC is a 24-hour cable news network and Internet news service at msnbc.com. About Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, Inc. Mason-Dixon is an independent polling firm that conducts voter surveys for news media, advocacy groups, trade associations and political action committees. Mason-Dixon is the nation's most active state polling organization, conducting copyrighted public opinion polls for news media organizations in all 50 states. These media clients include over 250 local television affiliates and over 100 daily newspapers. Since 1983, Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, Inc. has conducted surveys in every state in the country, on almost every public issue, and tracked every major election and referendum. DATASOURCE: Knight Ridder CONTACT: Annalise Carol, +1-646-805-2023, or , for Knight Ridder; or Jeremy Gaines of MSNBC, +1-201-583-5362, or Web site: http://www.knightridder.com/ http://www.realcities.com/

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