Neither of the two leading presidential candidates are through with Wisconsin quite yet as both Mitt Romney and Barack Obama announced upcoming visits to Wisconsin this week.

Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney will speak in West Allis on Monday evening while Obama is set to visit Green Bay Tuesday evening.

The visit to the state is Obama’s first since speaking on Madison’s Bascom Hill earlier this month. It will be Romney’s first time back since August.

According to a Marquette University Law School poll released on Oct. 17, the presidential race in Wisconsin is essentially tied, with Obama at 49 percent and Romney at 48 percent among likely voters. A recent Gallop poll has Romney ahead nationally with 50 percent among likely voters while Obama has 46 percent.

Chris Hoffman, chair of the College Democrats, also stated that both candidates’ visits indicate a tight election in Wisconsin.

Hoffman agrees the visits show how important Wisconsin is to both candidates.

“It shows how important [the election] is, and it looks to be a very close election,” Hoffman said.

Jeff Snow, chair of the College Republicans, said the fact Obama is concerned with visiting the state proves the race is very close.

“The visits indicate that the race is extremely close, and the fact Obama chooses to visit a state he won in the last election shows that Mitt Romney has the advantage,” Snow said.

This is not the first time candidates from both sides have tried to win over the voters in Wisconsin, according to Scott Ross of One Wisconsin now.

However, in recent election years the state has voted for the Democrat candidate in presidential elections, as Ross explained
“Wisconsin has always been a swing state,” Ross said. “Wisconsin has usually swung blue and Democrats have won the presidency here since 1988.”

Scot Ross, executive director of One Wisconsin Now, said this election is not going to be an easy win for either of the candidates.

According to Ross, issues are more important to Wisconsin voters, especially in regards to jobs and the economy.

“Wisconsinites are looking for the candidate who has the best track record, especially in creating jobs,” Ross said.

Mike McCabe, Wisconsin Democracy Campaign spokesperson, said the election can go either way.

However, McCabe stressed Wisconsin voters are not unique from any other voters in regards to the issues they care about.

“We’re not different from any other state, different groups of people have different concerns,” McCabe said. “Jobs and the economy are on everyone’s mind. For example, students on college campuses are afraid of not getting a job after they graduate.”

These issues among others may have made up the minds of voters in Wisconsin, and since these visits are so close to the election, it is unlikely they will truly change voters’ minds, McCabe said.

He added the real purpose of these visits by Obama and Romney, according to McCabe, is for each candidate to rally their voters to get out and vote for them in the election.

“These visits are primarily to try to energize their own bases, and both Obama and Romney do the same thing. They want to turn out their core voters,” McCabe said.

Erik Kirkstein, the political director for United Wisconsin, also saw candidates’ visits as having a similar purpose.

According to Kirkstein, not only do these visits rally core voters, but also have the potential to win over undecided voters in the state as well.