Democrats Dominate Early Voting in Key States

[DeepModem Mom]

Source: NYT/AP

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Democrats are dominating early voting in six key states President Bush won four years ago, forcing Republican John McCain to play catch-up even before Election Day arrives.

Democrats outnumber Republicans among early voters in Iowa, North Carolina, Florida, Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada, according to statistics from election and party officials in those states. Bush won all six in 2004, and McCain needs to win most of them to claim the White House this year.

Georgia, another red state, doesn't track early voters by party, but it does by race. About 1.4 million Georgians have already cast ballots, and blacks are voting in disproportionate numbers. Black voters overwhelmingly support Democrat Barack Obama, who is bidding to become the nation's first black president....

***

A look at early voting in key states:

--Florida: About 2.6 million people have already voted in a state where absentee ballots overwhelmingly favored George W. Bush in the razor-thin 2000 election. Among those voting so far this year, 45 percent are registered Democrats and 39 percent Republicans.

--North Carolina: About 1.6 million people have already voted -- 54 percent are registered Democrats and 29 percent are Republicans. About 100,000 newly registered voters have signed up and voted at North Carolina's one-stop voting centers, McDonald said. Among them, Democrats outnumbered Republicans by about 2-1, he said.

--Iowa: About 370,000 people have already voted -- 49 percent are registered Democrats and 29 percent are Republicans.

--Colorado: About 815,000 people have voted -- 39 percent are registered Democrats and 37 percent are Republicans.

--Nevada: About 342,000 people have already voted in Clark and Washoe Counties, which contain nearly 90 percent of the state's population. Among those voters, 53 percent are registered Democrats and 30 percent are Republicans.

--New Mexico: About 111,000 people have voted in Bernalillo County, the state's largest. Among them, 55 percent are registered Democrats and 33 percent are Republicans.

--Georgia: Black voters make up about 35 percent of those who have already voted -- a big increase from the 2004 election, when 25 percent of the state's electorate was black. Blacks voted for Obama by ratio of 9-1 in Georgia's Democratic primary this year.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/washington/AP-Early-Voting.html

[Doctor Cynic]

1. But be careful here...

One person voting for Obama today = one less person voting for Obama next Tuesday.

[DeepModem Mom]

2. That is true. nt

[cosmicone]

5. How is that relevant?

a vote is a vote is a vote!!

[ravenna_windream]

3. That will be one more NC vote for Obama...

Come Friday by me^-^

I've got to get my name change in order with the SSA, IRS,etc. first (I just got married recently ^-^)

[DeepModem Mom]

4. I voted today, ravenna_windream! Welcome to DU!!!

[natrat]

6. that advantage may strangely reverse at 2 am on election night contradicting exit polls, sigh