With just two weeks left until election day, the U.S. presidential campaign is hitting a fever pitch in battleground states like Ohio, where the ballots cast by working-class voters could mean the difference between President Barack Obama and President Mitt Romney.

Both Obama and Romney have been paying special attention to Ohio, which has strong ties to the auto and manufacturing industries 鈥� key points in both candidates鈥� impassioned speeches on the revival of the U.S. economy.

Ohio has a 7.2 per cent unemployment rate, slightly lower than the national average, and has benefitted from the auto bailout.

Most of Ohio鈥檚 working class is white and without a college degree. That demographic has made up roughly half of voters in the state in the last two presidential elections.

In 2004, 55 per cent of white voters in Ohio without a college education voted for Republican George W. Bush and 44 per cent voted for Democrat John Kerry. Four years ago, they voted for Republican Sen. John McCain, over Obama 54 per cent to 44 per cent.

Some tracking polls in Ohio have indicated that Romney and Obama are in dead heat. Both candidates have worked hard to woo Ohio voters, taking out aggressive television ads and appearing at various rallies.

But anything can happen over the next few days, as Ohio residents flock to advance polls in droves.

In Franklin County, 2,500 people showed up in a converted department store to cast their ballots early this week.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really close, but I think it鈥檚 going to change to Obama,鈥� one female voter said. 鈥淣o, it won鈥檛 go to Romney.鈥�

One local businessman said he鈥檚 voting Republican, but not with a lot of conviction.

鈥淚 will probably vote for Romney, but Ohio is considered Obama鈥檚 firewall,鈥� Mike Calst said.

One of the most repeated phrases in the state is that no Republican has ever been elected president without winning Ohio. Some say that鈥檚 why between Romney and his running mate, Paul Ryan, the Republican campaign will have made 17 stops in the state before election day.

With a report from CTV鈥檚 Paul Workman and files from The Associated Press