Susan Davis reports on the latest WSJ/NBC News poll.

Nearly three-quarters of Americans believe it is extremely or quite important to give Americans the choice between a government-run health care plan and a private plan in any final health care bill, according to the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll out later today.

Some 73% said it was important to do so — 45% called it “extremely” important while 27% said it was “quite important.”

On the other end, less than one quarter, 22%, said it was either not that important (8%) or not at all important (15%) to create a health plan that would complete with private industry.

The strength of the support continues to come from self-identified Democrats, a majority of which, 56%, said it was extremely important to include a public option. Still, more than one in three Republicans, 34%, also said it was extremely important, as did 39% of independents.

While Americans overwhelming said they should have a choice in the matter, asked whether they favor or oppose the create of a public option to compete with private industry, the response was more divided.

Nearly half, 48%, said they support the public option while 42% said they oppose it. Those numbers aren’t radically different from the August WSJ/NBC News poll, in which 46% favored and 48% opposed—but it could suggest support for the public option is growing while opposition is softening.

Click here for the full poll and here for The Wall Street Journal story on the poll.