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Most national polls show his Democratic rival Barack Obama ahead on the eve of the election.
A USA Today/Gallup national poll published yesterday found likely voters favouring Mr Obama by 11 points over Mr McCain, at 53 per cent to 42 per cent.
A Reuters/C-Span/Zogby national tracking poll, meanwhile, had Mr Obama with a seven-point edge.
Zooming in closer on the state-by- state battle for electoral college votes, Mr McCain faces a similarly daunting task.
Under the US electoral college system, to be elected president, a candidate must win at least 270 of the 538 electoral votes, distributed to states roughly in proportion to their populations.
Here again, looking at the state of play in the keenly-fought states of Florida, Ohio, Virginia and Pennsylvania, the electoral map clearly favours Mr Obama.
In the electoral college match-up, Mr Obama is favoured to win all the states the Democrat Party captured in 2004. That would give him 251 votes. And that means he has to win just 19 more votes to hit the magical number of 270 to get into the White House.
Going by numbers, the picture is a grim one for Mr McCain. Even if he won all the solid 'Red' Republican states and those leaning his way, that would give him 132 votes. He would still need 138 more to make up the difference.
A defeat in Pennsylvania, or a loss in Ohio, Florida or Virginia - all Bush states in 2004 - would make it extremely unlikely that Mr McCain could collect the necessary 270 votes.
Mr McCain's hopes hinge on winning all or nearly all of the states won by US President George W. Bush in 2004, and possibly carrying Pennsylvania, which voted Democratic back then.
Pennsylvania carries 21 votes, which would help him overcome likely losses in smaller states such as Colorado and Nevada.
As of yesterday, however, CNN polls showed Pennsylvania tilting Mr Obama's way (51 per cent to 43 per cent).
State surveys indicate that Mr Obama has many options to get those 19 votes to push him cross the critical threshold of 270.
Some of the permutations:
In Florida, the Reuters poll shows Mr Obama with a two-point lead. In Ohio, the state that decided the 2004 election with a narrow win for Mr Bush, Mr Obama is also ahead. Same for Virginia and Nevada.
'Obama's lead is very steady. He could be looking at a big day on Tuesday,' said pollster John Zogby. 'These are all Republican states except Pennsylvania, and that does not look like it's going to turn for him.'
Things may change, of course, if there is a last-minute Republican surge for Mr McCain, or if fewer than expected Democrats turn up on polling day.
But about 27million absentee and early votes had been cast in 30 states as of last Saturday night. Democrats outnumbered Republicans in pre-election day voting in key states.
That has some observers questioning whether Mr McCain can overtake Mr Obama, even with a late Republican surge.
REUTERS, ASSOCIATED PRESS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
