ABJ - July 4 - The race remains close between U.S. President Barack Obama and Republican hopeful Mitt Romney, as the former Governor of Massachusetts has closed the gap in recent weeks, according to several polls.

Recent polls conducted by Reuters (one point) and the Associated Press (three points) show Obama holding a lead to Romney, while polls conducted by Gallup Tracking (one point) and Rasmussen (two points) show Romney in the lead. A poll conducted by Fox News shows Obama and Romney in an even draw.

The battleground states likely remain the key to victory for the two contenders, with Obama holding multi-point leads in most, including Ohio (1.8), Florida (1.8), Virginia (3), New Hampshire (6), Michigan (1.4), Wisconsin (3), Iowa (2.5), Colorado (2.8), and Nevada (5.3). Meanwhile, Romney holds the lead in Missouri (3), Arizona (4.7), and North Carolina (3.3).

Results show that Maine (13.3), Minnesota (11.6), New Mexico (7), Oregon (12), and Pennsylvania (8) lean toward favoring Obama. Alternatively, Georgia (10), Indiana (9), Montana (9), and South Carolina (9) favor Romney.

In recent weeks, the focus has turned to who Romney will vet as his running mate and potential Vice-President of the United States. The list is believed to include Florida Senator Marco Rubio, Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan, and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, among other candidates.