Oregon Public Broadcasting

A new poll suggests a hefty chunk of Oregon voters still haven't decided whom to vote for in a close U.S. Senate race. April Baer reports.

Riley Research Associates talked to 499 likely registered voters between October 10th and last Monday.

Poll results show incumbent Republican Gordon Smith and his Democratic challenger, Jeff Merkley are about even, with the 4.39 percent margin of error figured in. But the poll found one-quarter of respondents still undecided. Pollster Mike Riley suspects the response may be calculated.

Riley: "I'm never satisfied that people are truly undecided, people usually have an idea, but they're being cagey, as if they're waiting for the other shoe to drop. They just want to wait til the very last minute and see what happens."

While Democrats have a registration edge, Riley says that hasn't always been a perfect predictor of voting habits beyond the presidential race.

Smith and Merkley are campaigning full-speed around the state. Outside interest groups --including the national parties-- have spent big for a final barrage of ads in the last weeks of the campaign.