US set for crucial Super Tuesday

Mitt Romney

Republican White House frontrunner Mitt Romney hopes to keep up momentum and deal a major blow to key rival Rick Santorum as voters head to the polls in Super Tuesday's 10-state marathon.
Voters across America will have their say in what promises to be a pivotal day in the rollercoaster contest to see who will take on President Barack Obama, a Democrat, in the November 6 general election.
Super Tuesday sees contests in Ohio, Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Oklahoma, Idaho, North Dakota and Alaska.
Ohio, too close to call between Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum, will be the most closely watched battleground.
No Republican nominee has ever become president without winning it.
Front-runner Romney, a former Massachusetts governor and private equity tycoon, has been riding a wave of momentum after four consecutive poll wins.
A new poll released by Quin-nipiac University gave Romney 34 percent support from likely Ohio primary voters, while Santorum, a former Pennsylvania senator, was at 31 percent.
The three-point margin makes the race too close to call. But the Quinnipiac polling institute said the survey showed that the momentum was squarely with Romney, who one week ago trailed Santorum 36 to 29 percent.
"I hope that I get the support of people here in Ohio tomorrow, and in other states across the country," said Romney on the eve of the poll. "I believe if I do, I'll get the nomination."
His well-funded political machine has far outspent Santorum in Ohio, chopping down his double-digit opinion poll lead in the Midwestern bellwether state.
A devout Catholic who opposes abortion and gay marriage, Santorum has sought to exploit lingering doubts among some conservatives about Romney, a Mormon who governed in a liberal state.
As well as Ohio, Santorum is also hoping for victories in Oklahoma and Tennessee, although polls show Romney gaining on him in the latter state.
Romney is seen as the favourite in Virginia's primary - where Santorum and Gingrich failed to qualify for the ballot - and as the all but certain victor in his political heartland of Massachusetts. He is also expected to win in Idaho, a state with a large Mormon population, and Vermont.
Romney has picked up several coveted endorsements in recent days, including Republican House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, former attorney general John Ashcroft and Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn.
Out of the 1,144 delegates needed to secure the Republican presidential nomination at the party convention in August, more than 400 are at stake in Tuesday's contests.
Ahead of the 10-state voting marathon, Romney had a solid lead with 203 delegates, compared with 92 for Santorum, 33 for Gingrich 33 and 25 for Paul, according to the Associated Press.