President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney participate in the second presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. Credit: Associated Press

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Madison - President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are in a virtual tie in Wisconsin, a new poll shows.

The Marquette University Law School poll showed the Democratic president leading his Republican rival 49% to 48%. The poll's director, Charles Franklin, called it "a dead tie."

The survey of 870 likely voters was conducted Thursday through Sunday by the school - after the first presidential debate but before Tuesday's second debate.

The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.