In an election in Ohio today for President of the United States, Barack Obama remains where he has been for the past 2 SurveyUSA weekly tracking polls — ever-so-slightly ahead of Mitt Romney in the battle for the Buckeye State’s 18 electoral votes, according to a SurveyUSA poll conducted for WCMH-TV in Columbus. 15 days until votes are counted, it’s Obama 47%, Romney 44%. Compared to an identical SurveyUSA poll released 1 week ago, Obama and Romney are both up 2 points. Obama led by 3 points last week, leads by 3 points today.

An election today for United States Senator from Ohio is too-close-to-call. Democrat Sherrod Brown today is at 43%, Republican Josh Mandel is at 42%. Compared to an identical SurveyUSA poll 1 week ago, Brown is flat, Mandel is up 4 points. Brown had led by 5, now leads by 1. The week-on-week movement comes from:

* Independents, where Mandel last week led by 3 points and today leads by 13 points, a 10-point right turn.
* Union households, where last week Brown was up 14 points and today he is up 5 points, a 9-point right turn.
* Middle-income voters, where Brown had led by 16 points, and today is tied, a 16-point right turn.
* Men, where last week Mandel was at 42% and today he is at 47%.

Cell-phone respondents and home-phone respondents included in this research: SurveyUSA interviewed 725 state of Ohio adults 10/20/12 through 10/22/12. Of the adults, 625 were registered to vote. Of the registered, 609 were determined by SurveyUSA to have either already voted or to be certain to do so before the 11/06/12 deadline. This research was conducted using blended sample, mixed mode. Respondents reachable on a home telephone (76% of likely voters) were interviewed on their home telephone in the recorded voice of a professional announcer. Respondents not reachable on a home telephone (24% of likely voters) were shown a questionnaire on their smartphone, tablet or other electronic device. All interviews were conducted after the 2nd Presidential debate and before the 3rd Presidential debate. The party composition of SurveyUSA’s 10/15/12 poll was 32% Republican, 39% Democrat. The party composition of today’s 10/22/12 poll is 32% Republican, 39% Democrat.