While it’s impossible to tell for whom people are voting, so far more Democrats than Republicans are casting ballots in Iowa, Maryland, North Carolina, Louisiana, and Nevada’s heavily Democratic Clark County, which supplied two-thirds of the state’s voters in 2008.
Republicans are flexing their organizational muscles and leading the pace in Florida, even though Democrats have the edge in registered voters there, and in Colorado. The parties are running about even in Maine, where Democrats have about 5 percent more registered voters. Ohio’s early-voting trends reflect the state’s swing-voting status: Democrats are ahead in the party stronghold of Cuyahoga County around Cleveland, while Republicans lead in GOP territory of Hamilton County, which is home to Cincinnati. Ballots are virtually even in Franklin County, which anchors central Ohio.
With 30 percent or more of all votes likely to be cast early, both sides are going all-out to lock in supporters’ ballots early. And for the first time in a midterm election, they are combining traditional shoe-leather canvassing and get-out-the-vote rallies with technological tools such as Facebook and text messaging.
Strategies run the gamut: In Washington state, Democrats held a “tweetup’’ to rein in young early voters. In Illinois, a voter-education group posted a video on YouTube about the state’s early-voting law highlighting the ability to vote naked — from the comfort of home, please. In Florida, Democrats e-mailed a notice that “Today is Election Day. No, that’s not a typo, because every day between now and November 2 is Election Day.’’
With nearly every indicator in a new Associated Press-GfK poll pointing toward big GOP victories, the Democrats’ groundgame advantage is squaring off against the Republicans’ enthusiasm edge, and the outcome could determine who wins close races.
