According to USA Today, new polls give President Obama the lead in Ohio, Florida, and Virginia.
Obama leads Republican challenger Mitt Romney 50%-43% in Ohio, according to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll. No Republican has ever won a presidential election without winning Ohio.
Other NBC/WSJ/Marist polls put Obama ahead 49%-44% in both Florida and Virginia.
The last Republican president, George W. Bush, carried Ohio, Florida and Virginia en route to re-election in 2004; Romney may need to win all of them if he is to rack up the 270 electoral votes needed to win.
Information from USA Today contributed to this report.