Americans will vote with their pocketbooks, poll shows

A majority of people in a new poll say they’ll vote according to their pocketbook in November — but that doesn’t necessarily give either presidential candidate an edge.

Fifty-nine percent of Americans say their personal financial situation is a critical factor determining who they’ll back for president, according to the research by Bankrate.com.

However, equal numbers support President Obama and Mitt Romney on this count — each gets 21% — with half of respondents saying neither candidate would have a big effect on their financial well-being.

The poll is the latest to underscore the significance of the economy to voters. But it also indicates that neither candidate appears to hold a definitive edge.

“At this point, the election seems too close to call,” said Claes Bell of Bankrate.com.

The survey of 1,000 adults was done by Princeton Survey Research Associates International from June 7-10. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.

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