(WSBT) As the hotly contested race for South Bend Mayor enters its final stretch, both candidates are working to get their message out. And the latest poll numbers show South Bend may be in store for a historically close race.

Both candidates received new endorsements on Sunday. Republican Juan Manigault's came from the Citizens For Community Values' Political Action Committee. Incumbent Steve Luecke's came from The South Bend Tribune.

It's become one of the most heated races in South Bend's recent history. The ads dominate commercial breaks on radio and TV. Campaign signs sit on lawns across the city. And on Sunday, the candidates took their messages to the streets.

Manigault pounded the pavement in the city's 1st district Sunday, asking voters a question he says sums up his campaign.

"Steve Luecke has been in office for 11 years. Are you satisfied with his performance?" he asked voters he spoke with. "Most people [I've talked with] say no," he continued. "It's time for a change."

Democrat Steve Luecke spent his day at several rallies in the city's arts district, Riley High School, and the "Step It Up" environmental rally at Jon Hunt Plaza downtown.

Green Party write-in candidate Tom Brown also spoke at that rally.

Luecke says he plans to go door to door Monday touting his record.

"We're proud of our record," he said Sunday. "We think great things have been happening all over town."

He says he plans to tell voters that new jobs were created at Blackthorn on the city's north side and new retail developments were created on the south side. He also stressed new commercial projects like the Eddy Street Commons project near Notre Dame, and land being cleared in the old Studebaker Corridor off Sample Street. Luecke says if he's elected, more economic development will follow, thanks to two new tools.

"The MetroNet that we're creating allows local businesses to grow and expand, and will bring high tech businesses to town. And we'll break ground on a new research park next year. I think we're on the verge of a lot of important investment in South Bend over the next few years," he said.

Manigault agrees development is a top priority. But he says it won't come without a change at the top, and it also won't come unless three other key issues are addressed.

"It's really about economic growth, public safety, governmental accountability and education," he said. "We have a lot of families who live in South Bend who see this city as a great place to raise a family and raise their children. But the problem is, they can't find good paying jobs, or they live in neighborhoods where there are drug houses. And there's nothing being done about those drug houses."

Manigault says if he's elected, that will change.

"I'll be a much more aggressive mayor," he said.

Meanwhile, both candidates are keeping a close eye on the latest poll numbers.

The final WSBT-South Bend Tribune poll found that Manigault has closed the gap in the last month: 38 percent of likely voters say they'll case their ballot for him; 48 percent say they'll vote for Luecke. The 10 point difference is down from 12 points in September.

But both candidates say their numbers are different.

"Our poll numbers show better than that," said Luecke. "They show me above 50 percent."

"Our polls say two points," said Manigault. "This election is even."

Now, as the race enters the final stretch, both candidates do agree on at least one thing: Voter turnout on Tuesday could help determine the winner. So both plan to keep pounding the pavement until the very end, hoping they're walking toward victory.

One other issue could play a role in the outcome as well. On Sunday, Manigault and the Citizens For Community Values accused Luecke of breaking election laws during the primary election in May.

The CCV released a statement from an election judge named Harold Meeks, who says he observed Mayor Luecke inside a polling place at St. Anthony de Padua School on the day of the primary. The CCV also says they have reports from other voters that Luecke appeared inside two other polling places that day as well.

Elected officials are not allowed inside polling places, except to cast their own ballot.

Luecke admits he was inside, but says he was just thanking poll workers.

He called it an "inadvertent mistake."

"I shouldn't have done that, I apologize," he said. "I wasn't campaigning. I wasn't swaying any voters inside the polling places. But, technically, I should not have been within the polling places. It won't happen again."

"He's one of the most veteran politicians in this town," said Citizens For Community Values' Political Action Committee Member Jay Dunlap. "Nobody should know the State of Indiana election laws better than Steve Luecke. And he has to admit it, because there's no hiding from it. What he's admitting, and trying to cast off with a smile, is that he was flouting the law. And what we're saying is, you just can't have a mayor that considers himself above the law."

Meeks' statement to the CCV says — to his knowledge — "no formal complaint was filed with the election commission about the incident." But Dunlap says Meeks submitted a complaint to the Indiana Secretary of State's office. Dunlap said he's unaware of whether any action has been taken on the complaint.

Manigault says he plans to have his campaign staff outside polling places on Tuesday to ensure the election falls within the law.

Luecke called the timing of the CCV's accusations "fishy" because the primary happened six months ago. He says he responded to the accusations then, and considers the matter closed.

But in the statement, Meeks says he's been "threatened in the past for reporting irregularities," and was told "not to make any trouble reporting small discrepancies." The statement goes on to say he only came forward with the statement "after bringing up the matter at a training program for poll workers on October 18."

Dunlap says the charges are important information that the public has a right to know.