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In an election that was supposed to be about jobs, jobs and jobs, the unemployed vote appears to be a dead heat.
In an exclusive look at how the unemployed will likely vote, CNBC found 26% of the public report either they or someone in their household has lost a job in the past four years.
But this group splits 48% to 48% in their presidential choice, similar to the broader population, which splits 48% to 47% for President Obama.
If the respondent themself was unemployed, the break is 50% for Obama vs. 45% for Republican challenger Mitt Romney. If only a person in the household lost a job (not the individual
respondent), the split is 51% for Romney vs. 48% for Obama.
With a 7.9% unemployment rate in October, President Obama stands for reelection with the highest jobless rate of any president in the post-war era.
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