Vote Early, Not Often

October 23, 2008— -- According to the latest ABC News/Washington Post tracking poll, three in 10 likely voters say they will vote early – nearly double from what it was in 2000.

Per ABC News Polling Director Gary Langer, Barack Obama leads John McCain by 26 points among likely voters who say they will vote early. Obama leads by a closer 7-point margin among those voters who will wait until Nov. 4 to cast their ballot.

Early voting is most popular in the West where a majority of voters (54 percent) say they will vote early or absentee.

Party officials from both sides have touted the Obama campaign's ground game and efforts to turn out the vote before and on Election Day. One Republican campaign official told George Stephanopoulos: "It's a whole different game …it's a new paradigm … it's scary."

ABC News is tracking early and absentee voting in battleground states and the numbers show that in several key states, Democrats have the edge.

Florida early voting:
Dem: 263,269
GOP: 146,290
Ind: 72,468

Florida returned absentee ballots:
Dem: 282,840
GOP: 410,950
Ind: 112,300

North Carolina early voting:
Dem: 307,058
GOP: 207,616
Ind: 109,328

New Mexico early voting:
Dem: 38,716
GOP: 17,027
Ind: 5,973

New Mexico absentee ballots:
Dem: 89,213
GOP: 60, 548
Ind: 19,734

Georgia total early votes: 892,230
Black Female: 197,574
Black Male: 119,368
White Female: 298,473
White Male: 242,931

Iowa absentee ballots:
Dem: 112,913
GOP: 61,399
Ind: 44,491

Obama maintains an 11-point lead (54-43 percent) in the ABC News/Washington Post tracking poll.

McCain holds two rallies in Colorado on Friday. ABC News' George Stephanopoulos reported earlier this week that ad buyers in that battleground state say that the McCain campaign has not purchased any more television ad time and is stretching out old buys instead.

Tivo Alert! Obama spoke with ABC News' Robin Roberts for an interview airing on Friday on "Good Morning America" and told her that his ailing grandmother has been "inundated" with get-well wishes this week.

"She has been inundated with phone calls and e-mails and flowers from total strangers who have read about her in my first book," Obama told Roberts before he flew to Honolulu to be with his grandmother, Madelyn Dunham. "And so maybe she is getting a sense of, of long-deserved recognition at --towards the end of her life."

Michelle Obama will pinch hit for her husband on the campaign trail in Ohio with rallies in Columbus and Akron.

The Kicker:
"Nothing surprises me."
--John McCain on whether he is surprised by Sarah Palin's $150,000 shopping spree

On the campaign front. . .

JOHN McCAIN
-- 12:00 pm ET: Holds Rally in Denver, CO.
-- 8:00 pm ET: Holds Rally in Durango, CO.

SARAH PALIN
-- 9:00 am ET: Delivers Speech in Pittsburg, PA.
-- 1:00 pm ET: Holds Rally in Springfield, MO.

BARACK OBAMA
-- No Public Events. Honolulu, Hawaii.

JOE BIDEN
-- 10:30 am ET: Holds Rally in Charleston, WV.
-- 6:45 pm ET: Holds Rally in Martinsville, VA.

MICHELLE OBAMA
-- 11:30 am ET : Holds Rally in Columbus, OH.
-- 3:30 pm ET: Holds Rally in Akron, OH

HILLARY CLINTON
-- TBD: Holds Rally in Colorado.

At the White House. . .

PRESIDENT BUSH
-- 5:25 pm ET: Signs the NATO Accession Protocols for Albania and Croatia.
-- 5:45 pm ET: Meets with the Secretary General of NATO.

POLITICAL NEWS STORIES ON ABCNEWS.COM

ABC News' Rick Klein: Hasselbeck to Campaign for Palin LINK

ABC News' Kate Snow: Palin Medical Records LINK

ABC News' George Stephanopoulos: Can 'Joe The Plumber' Swing His State to McCain? LINK

ABC News' Jake Tapper: After Dedicating Crass Song to McCain/Palin, Jay-Z to Rally Obama Supporters in Ohio LINK

ABC News' Bret Hovell and Julia Hoppock: McCain Seizes on Obama's Tax Plan Tweak LINK

ABC News' Bret Hovell: McCain Urges Bush To Buy Up Mortgages LINK

ABC News' Jake Tapper: McCain Ads Hit Obama on "Spread the Wealth" Comments LINK

ABC News' Jake Tapper: More on Obamaha LINK

ABC News' Jake Tapper: Obama Radio Ad in Wisconsin Hits McCain for Slamming Milwaukee LINK

ABC News' Jake Tapper and Matthew Jaffe: Oh, That Joe! (No. 33 in a Series) -- North Carolinians Don't Seem to Buy 'Joe The Biden''s NASCAR Analogy LINK

ABC News' Jake Tapper: McCain Drowning in Obama's Money LINK

ABC News' Jake Tapper: New Hoosier Radio Ad Features John Mellencamp (Nee Cougar) LINK

ABC News' Jake Tapper: Which Candidate is Al Qaeda's Choice? LINK

ABC News' Jake Tapper: What Does McCain Mean When His Robocall Says Obama Voted Against "Protecting Children from Danger"? LINK

The ladies sound off on Bristol Palin's plans for her upcoming nuptials. LINK

Hasselbeck Gets Invite to Present Palin
"View" co-host has been asked to introduce the governor at a Florida rally. LINK

Donaldson Explores McCain's '08 Evolution
ABC's Sam Donaldson on how McCain has changed through the presidentail race. LINK

Kimmel Debuts His Palin Impersonator
Security guard Veatrice tries her hand at playing the Alaska governor. LINK

Kimmel: McCain Kicks It Old School
Jimmy shows ad proving that the senator is in touch with seniors. LINK

The Bottom Line: Joe the Plumber
George Stephanopoulos analyzes the candidates' fight for the middle class. LINK

The Effect of Joe the Plumber
Joe Wurzelbacher has become the center of both of the candidates' campaigns. LINK

Jake Tapper on Palin's Wardrobe
Sarah Palin received 150,000 in new clothes from the McCain campaign. LINK

The Palin Problem
"Nightline" on the trail with Palin, the potential VP is not short of critics. LINK

The Original Mavericks
McCain adopted the catchword. But this Texas clan originated the term maverick. LINK

Obama Woos Va., McCain Tries to Recoup N.H.
Candidates race through the final 13 days of the campaign. LINK

Marilyn Manson: No Sex with Palin
The rocker says he hates Alaska and wouldn't sleep with the state's governor. LINK

A Closer Look at Candidates' Health Plans
Dr. Tim Johnson compares major differences between the two health care plans. LINK

Stephanopoulos on Obama's Lead
The four-day rolling average shows the Illinois senator up 11 points in polls. LINK