A new KING 5 poll finds Washington state's new gas tax might actually have a chance of surviving. Initiative 912 would throw out the gas tax but a new KING 5 / Survey USA poll finds voters might think hard before repealing the tax.

It's still close but voters are at least considering it.

Gov. Christine Gregoire says she's encouraged by the poll.

"I really do believe that when we had the tragedy, in the Gulf Coast, it was kind of a wake-up call to our nation,” she said. “Are we really investing in infrastructure?"

Earlier this year, the Legislature passed a new, 9½-cent gas tax to pay for road projects. The state has already phased in 3 cents at the pump. But Initiative 912 would throw out that new gas tax.

In September, 52 percent of voters said they would vote “Yes” on the initiative to repeal the tax.

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But over time that support has dropped to 44 percent. Meanwhile, the “No” vote has gone up. Now, 50 percent tell Survey USA they intend to vote “No” on the initiative. This means the gas tax would stay in effect.

Initiative opponents are spending millions of dollars on TV ads and direct mail, telling voters which projects might be cancelled if the gas tax goes away.

"We drove the safety and congestion messages directly into the communities where these projects are going to be built," said Mark Funk.

Our poll finds most voters agree the state should spend more on transportation but there's an issue of trust.

In September, 65 percent said they didn't think the state would spend the gas tax money responsibly. That has gone down slightly.

Meanwhile, the number of people who do trust the state has gone up from 28 percent to 36 percent. It’s a slight improvement, but most voters still have doubts.

Initiative supporters believe in the privacy of the voting booth. People will think about how much they're paying.

"I think people sometimes answer sometimes what they think the pollster wants to hear, rather than how they'll vote, we see that a lot on these pocketbook type issues," said Brett Bader.

Neither side feels it's over.