Oct. 24 (Bloomberg) -- Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has an edge in seven of nine states that collect party-registration and demographic data on early voting, as Democrats, blacks and first-time voters cast ballots in unprecedented numbers.

In North Carolina and Louisiana, which voted Republican in the last two elections, Democrats outnumber Republicans in early voting so far by a 2-to-1 margin. In Iowa, Obama's party accounts for 51 percent of early voters, compared with 28 percent for Republicans.

In Florida and Colorado, the parties are in a dead heat, with more Republicans mailing absentee ballots and more Democrats showing up to vote in person. In two other swing states, Ohio and New Mexico, which were both carried by President George W. Bush in 2004, the Democrats have the advantage. In Nevada's two most- populous counties, Democrats have cast 65 percent of ballots so far.

In states where racial data are available, Illinois Senator Obama, the first black candidate to be nominated by a major party, is likely to benefit from record turnout among African- Americans. Surveys show that more than 90 percent of black voters favor the Democrat over Republican John McCain.

`Numbers Look Good'

``The numbers look good for Obama,'' said Michael McDonald, a political scientist at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, who specializes in voter turnout.

Thirty-two states don't require an excuse for early voting, either in-person or by mail, and experts said at least a third of voters nationwide are expected to cast ballots before Nov. 4, up from 22 percent four years ago.

An ABC News/Washington Post poll published yesterday showed Obama, 47, leading Arizona Senator McCain, 72, by 26 points among likely voters who said they planned to vote early; the Democrat's advantage narrows to 7 points among those who plan to wait until Election Day.

While Democrats have an enthusiasm advantage at polling stations so far, experts said Republicans could make up some of the difference.

The early numbers may represent ``pent-up eagerness among Democrats to finally cast their ballot,'' McDonald said. It isn't yet clear, however, whether this is an ``initial burst'' or ``do we start at this level and go up?''

Still, the trends so far are encouraging for the Obama campaign, which is better organized and has invested more in pushing early voting than the McCain camp, especially in Florida, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, Iowa, Ohio and North Carolina.

Early-Vote Rallies

Early-vote rallies in Florida headlined by Obama or his wife Michelle have drawn more than 120,000 supporters, said campaign spokesman Nick Shapiro. On Oct. 10, in Ross County, Ohio, Obama spoke in front of a polling place, and Governor Ted Strickland urged supporters to vote after the event. In Dayton, Ohio, on Oct. 6, actor Cuba Gooding Jr. led Obama supporters to a local polling place.

The campaign has made information on how and where to vote early searchable on a Web site. After one Florida rally, it provided buses to polling stations.

Jon Carson, national field director for the Obama campaign, said the effort was capturing a new segment of the electorate.

``In some states, as many as a one-third of those who are turning out are either first-time voters or ones who haven't voted in last two election cycles,'' said Carson, citing Iowa and North Carolina.

McCain campaign spokesmen didn't respond to requests for comment.

Unprecedented

Johnnie McLean, deputy director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections, said early-vote turnout is unprecedented. According to the latest data, 56 percent of those who have already cast ballots are Democrats, 27 percent are Republicans, and the rest aren't affiliated with a major party.

In Georgia, more people have cast ballots in the first month of early voting than turned out early during the 2004 election, said Matt Carrothers, spokesman for Georgia's secretary of state. Thirty-six percent of the state's voters so far are black, a 10 percentage point jump from 2004.

In North Carolina, blacks were about 22 percent of the electorate four years ago; they are 29 percent of early voters so far this year, state figures show.

David Bositis, senior analyst at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a Washington-based research organization, said if these increases in black turnout hold through Election Day, it could put Obama over the top in states with large black populations.

`Split the White Vote'

Four years ago, 56 percent of black voting-age citizens voted; this year, Bositis expects 65 percent to 70 percent to vote. Considering Obama's overwhelming support among black voters, if he ``continues to split the white vote, he will win easily,'' Bositis said.

In Florida, at this time four years ago, Republicans were about 52 percent of early and absentee voters, while Democrats were 36 percent. Today, they are tied, with about 43 percent of early and mail-in votes cast by Republicans and about the same number cast by Democrats, state figures show.

Based on historical data, even a tie in early voting isn't good news for Republicans.

Early voters have tended to be ``more Republican than their Election Day peers,'' McDonald said. ``That's not true looking at these numbers now.''

Drive-Through

Many states are making early voting easier, from drive- through voting booths in southern California to polling stations in shopping malls and libraries in Florida.

Still, problems have cropped up. In Rensselaer County, New York, absentee ballots were mailed out with the Democrat's last name misspelled as ``Osama.'' In Palm Beach County, Florida, some elderly voters said they were having trouble voting because of a requirement that they draw a straight line across their ballot to mark their choice and insert thick ballots into envelopes.

Long lines also have been a problem in south Florida and in Georgia. In Forsyth County, Georgia, the board of elections has posted real-time online updates advising voters of expected waiting times.

Forsyth is a predominantly white suburban community outside Atlanta where registered Republicans far outnumber Democrats. Yet Democratic turnout so far is double to triple what it was in 2004, said County Elections Board chairman Gary Smith.

Paul Gronke, director of the Early Voting Information Center at Reed College in Portland, Oregon, said the Democrats had taken the lead thanks to ``an army of volunteers.''

``There may be a big corps of Republican voters who will surge in last couple of days, but right now it's like a 100-meter dash, with one side starting meters ahead,'' he said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Indira Lakshmanan at in Washington or ilakshmanan@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: October 24, 2008 13:00 EDT