Traders and investors seem to agree on one thing about Tuesday’s U.S. presidential election: The markets want a clear winner by Wednesday morning, Reuters reported.

The most recent Reuters/Ipsos tracking poll shows a tight national race, with Democratic President Barack Obama up two points against his challenger, Republican Mitt Romney, at 48 percent to 46 percent. Polling averages also show Obama with small but critical leads in Ohio, Virginia and Iowa.

Some market analysts forecast doomsday scenarios if a particular candidate wins – predictions that usually reflect their political leanings more than anything else.

But markets hate uncertainty, and having a drawn-out U.S. presidential election would be the ultimate uncertainty. Few investors on either side want a repeat of the protracted fight that followed the 2000 race between Al Gore and George W. Bush.

“If we wake up Wednesday morning and we don’t know the results, that also pushes off the dealing with the fiscal cliff, which is the next most important thing in our agenda,” said Art Hogan, managing director of Lazard Capital Markets in New York.