EPIC poll: Santorum over Romney by 3

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - Though a new EPIC-MRA poll shows Mitt Romney holds a big lead among absentee ballot voters in the Michigan primary, that same poll shows Rick Santorum holds a three-point lead with less than a week to go.

The poll, conducted for WOOD TV8 and our media partners, was taken between Feb. 18-21 and has a margin of error of 4.9%

Overall, the poll shows the former Pennsylvania senator with the support of 37% of likely GOP primary voters. Romney, the Michigan native whose father, George, was governor in the 1960s, has 34%. Texas Congressman Ron Paul has 10% and former US Rep. Newt Gingrich has 7%, with 12% undecided.

Romney holds a lead in southeast Michigan, while Santorum leads in central, western and northern Michigan.

Santorum holds a six-point lead, 41-35%, over Romney among Republican voters, and an eight-point lead, 39-31%, among people who are very or somewhat certain to vote next Tuesday.

Of those polled, 57% don't think of Romney as a native Michigander.

A total of 400 people were polled. They described themselves asTea Party supporters (61%), pro-life (62%) and conservative (63%).