http://www.kentucky.com/676/story/579180.htmlThe drumbeat to vote early is paying dividends for Barack Obama, especially in key battleground states in the South and West where Democrats have cast many more ballots than Republicans - and even in states where registered Republicans outnumber Democrats.
About a third of the American electorate voted before Election Day, largely to avoid long lines at the polls.
"It was so easy. I filled in my ballot with my wife over dinner and then dropped it off on the way to work," said Tony Amadeo, 27, one of almost 1.5 million people who cast early ballots in Colorado, where for the first time a majority of votes in a presidential race will be cast in advance.
More than 29 million people in 30 states have already voted. Democrats submitted 1 million more ballots than Republicans, though registration does not always indicate who voters choose for president.
Record early voting by Democrats in Florida, North Carolina, Iowa, Nevada and Colorado suggests the Obama campaign has rolled up an early advantage over John McCain.