Although the Mormon majority in Utah eschews the brew, a 7-Eleven "election poll" shows that those who do consume prefer Democrat Barack Obama to Republican John McCain by 20 percentage points - up 14 percent in the past week.

OK. The poll is wildly unscientific. But it's been surprisingly accurate in the past.

Results started trickling in this month as 7-Eleven rolled out its presidential coffee cup poll, which ends on Election Day. Customers voice their pick by pouring their coffee into a red cup for McCain or a blue cup for Obama.

Undecided voters may choose an unmarked container, while Big Gulp drinkers are offered bipartisan cups of red, white and blue.

The convenience-store chain has conducted similar polls twice before, with customers picking President Bush in percentage numbers of cups that mirrored (if not matched) national returns at the ballot box.

In 2000, 51.2 percent of 7-Eleven coffee drinkers chose Bush, compared with 48.9 percent for Al Gore. In the actual election, 47.9 percent of U.S. voters chose Bush, compared with 48.4 percent for Gore.

And in 2004, 51 percent selected Bush and 49 percent selected John Kerry. In the election, 50.7 percent chose Bush, compared with 48.3 percent for Kerry.

This time around, coffee drinkers have put Obama ahead, 60 percent to 40 percent. But McCain leads in New Hampshire, West Virginia and North Carolina. Idaho and New Jersey are battleground states where votes are evenly split.

Results could change as coffee drinkers pick up their cup of Joe - about 1 million of them each day.

dawn@sltrib.com