Women's Day at the New York State Fair comes amid an intense battle for the White House, in which women are playing a key role. YNN's Bill Carey says it is female voters who are getting the most attention from the two major parties as Election Day approaches.

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NEW YORK STATE FAIR -- Presidential candidates are hoping to win support of women. But many of those women say it's a tough choice they often delay making.

“Sometimes not until I walk into the booth,” said North Syracuse resident Roseanne DeFeo. “Isn't that terrible to say?”

Why all the attention being paid to women? Well, it comes down to numbers. They outnumber men in the general population, but they also tend to vote more often in presidential contests.

Back in 2008, Barack Obama won a majority of the women's vote. He will do well again in 2012, although for some past supporters, there is a sense of uncertainty.

“I don't know. I'm just not really sure, listening to them all. Can't make a final choice right now,” Canandaigua resident Jane Calman said.

Mitt Romney has lagged in female support, so a major assignment at this week's republican convention went to his wife, Ann. Her job? To convince other women they should back her husband. And there are some signs of GOP progress.

Linda Erb of Camillus said, “You know, I didn't know too much about her until last evening. I mean, I knew bits and pieces, but you never knew the whole story.”

“You don't get handed stuff. You work for it. We look at the candidates. I'm not going to tell you one's better than the other, but we need a change,” Barneveld resident Celia Domser said.

The mayor of Syracuse, who also co-chairs the state's Democratic Party, says one speech cannot change political reality.

“Parties and people stand for many things. And we have seen this Republican Party, over and over, denigrate and really not do justice to women's choices about their health care, about their reproductive rights and about making family decisions on their own,” Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner said.

Republicans argue that democrats have it wrong on the issues women care about.

“Women are concerned, just as men are, just as all Americans are about jobs. About the economy. About the fact that we have unemployment at over eight percent for 40 plus months. They're concerned about health care. They're concerned about the issues of the debt and the deficit that our kids are going to inherit. I think their issues are the American issues and the ones that are on everyone's mind,” said Representative Ann Marie Buerkle.

With just over two months to go until Election Day, the battle for the hearts and minds of women is just starting.