Romney took a slight lead in the RealClearPolitics.com average of polls Tuesday.

It is the first time Romney has enjoyed a lead over President Barack Obama since October 2011 in the average, which is widely regarded as a good way to gauge voter sentiment and trends.

Romney enjoyed a 0.7 percentage point lead over the president Tuesday, which is well within the margin of error, underscoring how tight this race has become.

The sample of polls includes a Rasmussen poll that concluded the race was a tie. Two other polls included in the sample found the president ahead by 3 points or less. Three polls found Romney ahead by four points or less.

Predictions based on the electoral college still find a slight edge for President Obama, but not enough to predict an outcome with certainty.

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