Poll: Independents favoring McCain

PRINCETON, N.J., Sept. 9 (UPI) -- Republican Party candidate for president John McCain is winning the support of a majority of U.S. independent voters, a Gallup Poll indicated Tuesday.

Poll results released Tuesday indicate independents prefer McCain over Democratic Party nominee for president Barack Obama, 52 percent to 37 percent.

The increase in political independents favoring McCain is the first time since March, when Gallup began tracking voter preferences for the general election, that a majority of independents sided with either major-party candidates, Gallup said. Before now, McCain garnered no more than 48 percent of the independent vote and Obama no better than 46 percent, Gallup said.

Among voters who have no political leanings to either major party, McCain was preferred over Obama by 39 percent of non-leaning independents in the Gallup Daily Tracking poll taken Friday through Sunday. Roughly 40 percent of non-leaning independents said they were undecided.

Gallup Poll Daily tracking results from Friday through Sunday are based on interviews with 2,733 registered voters. The margin of error is 2 percentage points.