Nev. exit poll: Late deciders help Reid to victory

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Nevada voters who made their pick for U.S. Senate within the final month of the campaign helped propel incumbent Harry Reid to victory, according to an Associated Press analysis of exit poll results.

Republican challenger Sharron Angle got more support from those who made their decisions earlier in the bitter campaign marked by nasty ads and a barrage of attacks on both sides.

Nearly two-thirds of voters who decided late, in that last month, ultimately voted for the Democratic majority leader. Only about one-quarter of all voters who picked late backed Angle, the conservative former state lawmaker and tea party favorite.

More than one-third of Reid's voters chose him late, while fewer than two in 10 Angle voters decided to pick her in the last month.

The last 30 days of the race included the only debate of the campaign, and also featured high-profile campaign appearances for Reid by President Barack Obama, first lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.

Those who decided in the last month included six in 10 whites, more than one in five Hispanics and one in 10 Asians. Non-white voters overall significantly supported Reid.

The poll results show four in 10 voters who consider themselves Democrats decided in the last month, as well as more than one-quarter of those who call themselves Republican and nearly one-third of those calling themselves independent or faithful to a smaller party.

The survey of 3,827 voters was conducted for AP by Edison Research. A total of 3,027 were interviewed in a random sample of 45 precincts statewide Tuesday; 800 who voted early or absentee were interviewed by landline or cellular telephone from Oct. 22 through Oct. 31. Results for the full sample were subject to sampling error of plus or minus 2 percentage points; it is higher for subgroups.