After all the advertising, the canvassing and the debating, much of the final weeks of a campaign come down to identifying and convincing the undecided voter.

In Virginia, a Feb. 7 poll had Kerry leading the pack in the commonwealth, but indicated at least 13 percent of the electorate was still undecided.

The poll also indicated a massive shift in support in the Old Dominion state. In December, former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean led, but the most recent survey had Dean attracting only 8 percent of the vote.

In Rappahannock County, many residents have seen the same shift in loyalties and many of them are still mulling over whom they will support.

"It's been interesting to see [the residents] flip-flop, but I don't make up my mind till the night before," said Ann Pankow. "Sometimes while I'm on my way into the voting booth."

Originally from Baltimore, Pankow said that voting in Rappahannock is a more "intimate" experience where the poll workers seem to know everyone.

"You don't have to say a word, they know who you are," she said.

Along with women's issues, Pankow said one of her main concerns was getting help for small businesses. She owns her own horse and dog supply shop.

"It's hard for small businesses to make ends meet," Pankow said. "We have to pay for our own health care and we don't get the same tax benefits that big corporations do."

Pankow is primarily relying on newspapers for her election information and to help her decide which candidate to back.

"I like to hear what they say," she said. "I want to know their voting record, what they're for, what they're about. If they make a complete idiot of themselves I won't vote for them."

In weighing her choices, Pankow is ignoring candidate resumes and accents.

"I don't care where they're from or where they grew up. It's what they say now, what they've done and what they're going to do," she explained recently.

While Pankow is excited about participating in Virginia's early primary Feb. 10, she believes that whoever wins the White House won't have much influence on her business.

"It's local politics that count," Pankow said. "Virginia state politics or local politics. They're the ones that can directly affect me."

In the same small county, another small business owner, holistic health practitioner Elizabeth Lee, has a dramatically different take on who to back in the primaries.

"I want to support someone with a chance," Lee said. "I like (Ohio Rep. Dennis) Kucinich's platform, but he doesn't have a chance. I like (North Carolina Sen. John) Edwards, but I also care about veterans' issues so I'm also looking at (Massachusetts Sen. John) Kerry."

For Lee, electability is her main concern.

"It sounds shallow, but looks matter more than platform," Lee said. "Who might defeat [President] Bush counts more than the issues."

Lee says the issues most important to her are civil rights and changing the Patriot Act.

"I know we need to be secure but I know we can do it within our democratic system and within our rights," Lee said.

For guidance on the candidates, Lee said she talks to friends and also pays attention to endorsements.

"If they're endorsed by people I judge to be intelligent and with integrity, then that means a lot to me," Lee said.

As the hours ahead of the primary wane, Lee and Pankow -- along with 15 percent of Virginians likely to vote in the Feb. 10 primary, according to an American Research Group poll released Sunday -- will need to come to a final decision in what is a key test for Kerry, Edwards and Clark.

-- By Chris Nammour, Online NewsHour