A majority of 51 percent of likely U.S. voters say their country should help Israel if it attacks Iran, according to a Rasmussen poll.

Its new survey also reveals that 61 percent of the respondents “think it is at least somewhat likely that Israel will attack Iran in the next year while just 23% see such an attack as unlikely. Of those who think an attack is likely, 22% said it is “very likely.” 

Rasmussen noted that tensions between Israel and Iran are rising again following last week’s terrorist attack against Israeli civilians in Bulgaria.

The respondents answered several questions in the telephone survey, including, ”How likely is it that Israel will attack Iran in the next year?” and “If Israel attacks Iran, should the United States help Israel, help Iran, or do nothing?”

In the daily survey tracking the presidential election, President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney remain in a virtual dead heat for the popular vote, but the president has a clear lead in the electoral college vote.

The polling organization, which many consider to have a slight Republic bias, determined that President Obama has 180 electoral college votes just about sewn up, compared with only 167 for Romney.

However, another 67 electoral college votes are lean towards or are likely for Obama, compared with 24 for Romney.

The bottom line is that Obama has 247 electoral college votes in his favor, only 23 short of a majority. Romney has 191, and another 100 are uncertain.   

The American system of presidential voting gives the winner of the election in every state, regardless of the margin of victory, all of the same state’s “electoral college votes,” which are determined according to the population of the state.

There have been rare instances that a president has been elected with a minority popular vote but a majority electoral college vote.