President Obama is holding on to a narrow lead over Mitt Romney nationally but is performing better in the battleground states that traditionally decide presidential elections, a pair of new polls showed Tuesday. 

A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll showed Obama and the Republican presidential candidate in a dead heat nationally. 

Obama was pulling 47 percent, to Romney's 44 percent -- the president's lead fell well within the poll's 3.1 percentage point margin of error. 

Still, the poll showed Obama leading 50-42 percent among swing-state residents. The survey interviewed residents in Ohio, Florida and 10 other swing states. 

That state of play was echoed in a Quinnipiac University poll of voters in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania. 

The poll showed Obama leading 47 percent to Romney's 38 percent in Ohio, and 45-39 percent in Pennsylvania. Obama was holding onto a narrower lead in Florida, edging out Romney 45 percent to 41 percent.