This time next week we will know. Or we'll still be counting votes and sleepwalking in front of CNN, that morning's Post-Gazette in hand.

Yes, it's almost here. There are just five days until a much anticipated Nov. 4, 2008, when we will elect the next president of these United States.

This time next week either Republican John McCain or Democrat Barack Obama will be naming a transition team and picking out new curtains for the Oval office.

Or, heaven forbid, some bleary-eyed election team will be counting hanging chads.

Given the awful state of the economy, an unpopular war and a diminished role on the world stage, this is arguably the most important presidential election in our lifetimes.

It is certainly the most historic. If the Democrats win, we will have elected the first African-American president. If the Republicans win, it gives us our first woman vice-president.

Working on the theory that all politics is local, we looked for some undecided voters in the South Hills to help us out find the issues that count in making this historic decision.

The panel is made up of two men and two women, one of whom is a first time voter. In our panel there is a business consultant, a mortgage broker, a maintenance man and a college student. Two are military veterans. Two are married with children. All, at least the three who are old enough to have voted before, say they make decisions about candidates on merit, not necessarily by party affiliation.

Still, as we pointed out in the first installment, all are registered Democrats. In a casual poll of about 75 to 100 people asked in a variety of public spots over a month period, we could not find one undecided Republican who would go on record.

For the past three weeks freelance writer Erin Gibson Allen has interviewed these four thoughtful and courageous citizens who agreed to go public. We monitored their views on both the headlines and the issues that are close to their hearts.

In the early weeks, voters identified the economy and foreign affairs -- specifically the war in Iraq -- as the two major issues driving this election. This week, we asked what other big issues are driving their vote. And, we also dug a little deeper into the voters' views on the candidates' economic proposals, including their plans to balance the federal budget and to create jobs.

We also asked whether Americans should be prepared to make sacrifices in these troubled times and if so, what sacrifices should they make.

We asked more on domestic issues, such as whether Supreme Court nominations are a factor in their vote, and if social issues like same-sex marriage, affirmative action and abortion are important in their calculations.

Since healthcare is an important topic, we asked each voter if they preferred one candidate's proposal.

We also asked whether endorsements, such as that for Mr. Obama made by former secretary of state Colin Powell, influenced their thinking.

Lastly we asked about their impressions on the candidates' television ads and those annoying "robo" calls interrupting many a dinnertime conversation these days.

With five days and counting, our panelists have yet to make up their minds.

And, the clock is ticking.

Age: 57

Hometown: Munhall

Job: Business consultant

There are just days left until he enters the voting booth, but Mr. Nemchick remains undecided and is looking for both camps to offer more details and less spin.

Mr. Nemchick is suspicious of the claims made in ads because they are designed to manipulate, he said.

"I am extremely concerned that the multimillion dollar campaigns that we're seeing are not in this country's best interest,'' he said.

Campaign reform is needed, he said, to address the exorbitant amounts spent on elections.

Behind the economy and foreign affairs, preserving the Constitution is important to Mr. Nemchick. He sees the Patriot Act as an offense to the Constitution and he would like to see the act repealed or significantly revised. Mr. Obama might be more likely to do this, he said.

Nominations to the Supreme Court are "extremely important" to Mr. Nemchick, he said. He would like to hear more details from both candidates on this issue, he said.

To help the economy, Americans need to "get away from gratuitous consumption of goods produced overseas," Mr. Nemchick said.

He worries about the trade deficit and the national debt, he said, but doubts whether either candidate can balance the federal budget or create jobs.

"Government does not create jobs," he said. "Businesses create jobs."

Health insurance is less important to Mr. Nemchick, he said, because he has coverage from Veterans Affairs.

At this point, Mr. Nemchick aligns more with Mr. Obama on social issues such as abortion, he said.

"The Republicans can be sanctimonious on these," he said.

Age: 19

Hometown: West Homestead

Job: Student at Pitt

A frustrated Ms. Tatrai said that "as soon as I decide on a candidate, I find myself leaning toward the other.''

She listens to the television ads, she said, because "they point out strong points'' but she does not let them, or endorsements such as Colin Powell's, sway her.

Unlike the others. Ms. Tatrai identified abortion issues and the war in Iraq--not the economy--as her top two issues.

Behind these two issues, Ms. Tatrai cites increased access to health care as her greatest concern. On this issue, she said, she favors McCain because she fears Obama's proposal would create a government-run health care system, which she views as a negative.

Future nominations to the Supreme Court do not affect her vote, Ms. Tatrai said, although she would like to see a court that rules in favor of pro-life issues.

Social issues are "not extremely important" to Ms. Tatrai in this election, she said.

In these tight economic times, Americans should reconsider their wants and needs, Ms. Tatrai said. She is concerned about many of her friends in college, she said, because they often pay just the minimum on their credit card bills or have to call home for extra money.

"People need to budget themselves," she said.

Creating jobs and balancing the federal budget are monumental tasks, she said, and neither candidate is more capable than the other in these areas, she said. Balancing the budget, she said, cannot be done in one four-year presidential term.

Age: 58

Hometown: South Fayette

Job: Mortgage originator

Ms. Klose remains undecided, she said, and her opinion has not been influenced by endorsements, television ads or political phone calls.

"They don't know anything better than we do," she said of officials or celebrities making endorsements. She is "irritated" by television ads.

"I'm not sure if they are true," she said.

To investigate dubious claims, she said, she sometimes checks Web sites like Snopes.

The economy continues to dominate her thoughts, she said. Sometimes working 16-hour days in the mortgage industry, she said, leaves little time to focus on other issues.

"I don't blame the Bush administration for this economy," she said. The root of the problems, she said, can be traced through both Democratic and Republican administrations.

As to whether Americans should make any sacrifices in these difficult times, "that depends on who you're talking about," she said. Poor Americans cannot be expected to sacrifice, she said, but middle-class Americans may have to cut back on eating out and other entertainment expenses.

Social issues and Supreme Court nominations will not influence her vote, she said.

Ms. Klose is doubtful that either candidate will be able to deliver on promises for health insurance reform or a balanced federal budget.

"I'm a skeptic," she said.

A Republican administration, she said, may be more likely to create jobs.

"Corporations are where jobs are created," she said. "Republicans are generally better than Democrats in that area," she said.

Age: 61

Hometown: Mount Oliver

Job: Maintenance worker

Mr. Hanbury does not let endorsements or campaign ads influence his vote, he said.

"They annoy me," he said, citing their repetition. "I hardly listen anymore."

The amount of money spent by both campaigns concerns Mr. Hanbury.

The McCain campaign's decision to allocate $150,000 for Sarah Palin's make-up and wardrobe budget was a mistake, he said.

"Why not donate that money to a homeless shelter," Mr. Hanbury said. "Isn't that the way you run things?"

After the economy and foreign affairs, Mr. Hanbury is concerned about health care and Social Security. Domestic issues, especially those that affect seniors, he said, have not been given enough attention by either the Bush administration or the campaigns.

Mr. Hanbury favors Mr. Obama on healthcare. Mr. Obama wants "to take care of the people more," he said.

Likewise, he favors Mr. Obama on Social Security, he said, because Republican proposals to privatize accounts sound "risky."

Neither candidate is more likely to balance the federal budget, he said. Creating jobs, he said, is a task for businesses, not the president.

Americans have sacrificed enough already, Mr. Hanbury said, citing economic hardships like rising utility bills and costly groceries.

Supreme Court nominations do not factor into Mr. Hanbury's calculations, nor do social issues such as same-sex marriage. Generally government should stay out of people's private lives, Mr. Hanbury said, and gay couples should have equal access to health care.