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NOW Today: The latest from the battlegrounds

The latest NBC News/WSJ/Marist poll is out, and it shows a tight race between President Obama and Governor Mitt Romney in three key battleground states: North

The latest NBC News/WSJ/Marist poll is out, and it shows a tight race between President Obama and Governor Mitt Romney in three key battleground states: North Carolina, Nevada, and New Hampshire.

The President and the Governor are statistically tied in both North Carolina (48-46 Obama) and Nevada (49-47 Obama). In New Hampshire - where Governor Romney has a home and campaigned heavily during the primary - the President's lead is more definitive, 51-44.

NBC News and Marist have released polls in nine battleground states over the past three weeks, and all of them show the President with leads ranging between 2 and 8 points. According to Marist Poll director Lee Miringoff, "Romney has to change the number in most, if not all of these states."


The greatest chance Romney has to change things could come in the upcoming debates, notably next week's gathering in Denver. So will there be an October surprise? Guest host Ari Melber will ask that question and many more when the conversation kicks off at noon ET on NOW.

PANEL

Jeff Mason, Reuters (@jeffmason1)

Joan Walsh, Salon.com/msnbc Political Analyst (@joanwalsh)

Nicholas Confessore, The New York Times (@nickconfessore)

Ben Smith, Editor-in-Chief, BuzzFeed (@buzzfeedben) 

BULLPEN

Melissa Harris-Perry (@mharrisperry)

Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes)