A slim majority of Republicans are still in disbelief that President Barack Obama, now in his third year in office, was born in the United States and therefore is legally eligible to be president, according to a poll by the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling.

The survey looked at whom these “birthers” prefer in the 2012 Republican presidential primary contest. Among the 51 percent of Republicans who think Obama was born outside of America, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee was preferred by 24 percent, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin by 19 percent, former Speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.) by 14 percent and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney by 11 percent.

Romney’s performance improves greatly among the 49 percent who think Obama was born here or are not sure. He takes 23 percent among that group compared with 16 percent for Huckabee, 11 percent for Palin and 10 percent for Gingrich.

Huckabee leads with 20 percent support among Republicans overall, followed by Romney with 17 percent, Palin with 15 percent and Gingrich with 12 percent.

The nationwide survey was conducted Feb. 11-13 among 400 Republican primary voters with a 4.9-point margin of error.