CNN Poll Finds Meg Whitman and Barbara Boxer Pulling Ahead of Opponents

The poll, however, found that the two candidates were only ahead within the margin of error.

Like many other polls trying to determine who is ahead in the California Senate and governor races, the results are pretty much the same: it's too close to call (but not all of them).

Incumbent Barbara Boxer leads former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina 48 to 44%, according to CNN's survey of 866 registered California voters. In the race for Governor, former eBay CEO Meg Whitman had two points over Attorney General Jerry Brown -- 48 to 46%.

The results for both races are within the poll's sampling error.

CNN notes that women may play a big role in swinging this year's races. "In a battle between two women, female voters will be a key constituency," CNN Polling Director Keating Holland said about the Senate race. "Right now, 48 percent of women would pick Boxer compared to 43 percent for Fiorina. Six years ago, Boxer won 65 percent of the women's vote."

And in regards to the gubernatorial race? "The gender gap means that women usually vote Democratic, but female voters are evenly divided between Brown and Whitman. That may be due to some women choosing a female candidate over a male, depriving Brown of the traditional level of support from that key group," said Holland.