Polls: Obama ahead in Iowa, Wis., N.H.

David Jackson, USA TODAY | USATODAY

Five days before Election Day, new polls give President Obama leads over Mitt Romney in the swing states of Iowa, Wisconsin and New Hampshire.

The significance: Romney probably needs to win all three states if he loses Ohio, where he is also seen as trailing the president.

Obama leads in Iowa 50%-44%, according to NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist polls.

The same survey puts the president ahead 49%-46% in Wisconsin, and 49%-47% in New Hampshire.

An NBC/WSJ/Marist poll released Wednesday gave Obama a 5-point lead in Ohio, 50%-45%.

"To be at 49 or 50 (percent) is a good number this close to Election Day," said Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion. "But he (Obama) doesn't have to look far over his shoulder to see that half of the electorate isn't with him and Romney is close."

Miringoff added: "It is always better to be ahead than behind."

Ohio and its 18 electoral votes are key to both candidates as they try to assemble the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency. Whoever loses it will have to sweep Iowa, Wisconsin and New Hampshire — which total 20 electoral votes — to have a chance.