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Race tied as Clinton and Trump get set to debate

Tension mounted at Hofstra University on Long Island Monday as the historic debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump approached.

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – A few hours before the first televised debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald J. Trump, the circus was in full swing.

Hundreds of people clustered around the TV network stage sets erected in the center of Hofstra University Monday afternoon, waving placards for one or the other candidate, or for saving social security, or for action on the national debt, or for whatever cause. "Krusty Krab unfair to workers," read one handmade poster, referring to the fast-foot restaurant in Sponge Bob Square Pants. Another young man wandered around holding a sign that said, "I'm Sorry."

Underneath it all: tension city. The 90-minute faceoff between the former first lady, senator and secretary of state and the brash Manhattan real-estate developer is the most buzzed-about and anticipated presidential debates in U.S. history.

Not least because a series of new polls suggest that the contest is essentially tied.

Quinnipiac University termed the race "too close to call" Monday as its latest national poll of likely voters found Clinton nosing out Trump 47 percent to 46 percent in head-to-head ballot test.

A poll conducted by CNN/ORC in Pennsylvania released Monday found Clinton leading Trump 45 to 44 percent among likely voters in a four-way race; and one conducted in Colorado had Trump ahead of Clinton 42 percent to 41 percent. The CNN/ORC surveys in the two battleground states included Libertarian Gary Johnson and Green Party nominee Jill Stein.

Over the weekend, a Muhlenberg College/Morning Call poll of Pennsylvania likely voters found Clinton with a 44-41 percent lead over Trump in a four way race. That was down from a 6-point advantage over Trump in last week's survey by the college.

And a survey by Mercyhurst University's Center for Applied Politics released Monday had Clinton leading Trump 42 percent to 41 percent among Pennsylvania registered voters.

As CNN's "Countdown clocked ticked down, Hofstra's marching band and cheerleaders performed as the network cameras panned over the crowd. So did the sign-wavers.

And a Hofstra student was overheard telling her friend, "I'm going to need all my beer money to get through this debate."