Arab-Americans are becoming increasingly likely to support the US Democratic party and are likely to back Barack Obama's presidential campaign, according to a new poll.

Forty-six per cent of Arab-Americans identify with the Democrats, but only 20 per cent identify with the Republicans, compared to roughly equal support for each party in 2000, according to the Arab American Institute poll.

Asked who they would vote for, about 46 per cent of Arab-Americans said they would back Obama in the November 4 elections, while 32 per cent said they would support John McCain.

Ralph Nader, the independent candidate whose parents immigrated from Lebanon, gathered about six per cent of Arab-American support.

Obama's support increased to 54 per cent when Nader was not included as a candidate.

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"People are switching to the Democratic camp because of the domestic and foreign policy mess the administration has created," James Zobgy of the Arab-American Institute, told Al Jazeera.

Arab-Americans make up more than one per cent of the total US population, but more than one-third of them live in Michigan, Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia - states that will be hotly contested in the election.

That could boost Obama's chances in key swing-states like Michigan that have large Arab-American populations.

Sixty-seven per cent of those surveyed said the economy was the most important issue to them, followed by the Iraq war and health care.

Arab-Americans, like the wider US population, were also critical of George Bush's presidency, with only 23 per cent saying he had done a good job in the White House.

The poll, conducted by polling firm Zogby International, was based on 501 interviews conducted earlier this month.