rcp: About 20 percent of the 127,000-plus absentee ballots received as of early Friday were cast in three Indiana counties" Marion, Monroe and Lake" that political observers believe Obama is strongly favored to win.
Lake County has a large population of black voters and is in Chicago's shadow. Obama has typically won big among college-age voters, and Monroe County is the home of Indiana University in Bloomington. Obama's campaign sought out IU students with voter registration and early voting drives and a free Dave Matthews concert.
Robert Dion, a professor of American politics at the University of Evansville, said Obama has mounted an innovative campaign that's stressed early voting and his supporters appear more energized than those for Clinton.
"In a close race, modest advantages in organization can yield big results, and if Obama out-organizes the Clinton campaign on these absentee ballots, it would be a great boost to him," Dion said.
Three other Indiana counties" St. Joseph, Vanderburgh and Vigo counties" have amassed more than 20,000 early ballots between them, about 16 percent of the total absentees cast statewide.
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Early Voting Favors Obama in Indiana
let's hope prof. dion is right.
