ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - Religious identity remains a key factor in today’s presidential election.

George Mason University political scientist Mark Rozell says Governor Romney’s path to victory will be a very strong showing among white evangelical Protestants and religiously observant Catholics.

Romney must also do well among religiously observant mainline Protestants.

“Barack Obama, he has a very different religious coalition that includes, of course, black Protestants and also much less religiously observant white mainline Protestants, less observant Catholics, and also a voting block called unaffiliated, those who don’t identify with any religion at all.”

That last group makes up about 20% percent of the American populace.

The swing vote, Rozell believes, is among mainline Protestants and Catholics.