Obama and McCain polls apart

Washington: Barack Obama's poll advantage seems to be already translating into an advantage in votes, with millions of Americans voting early in the presidential elections, analysts said.

This year, queues of voters across the country have confirmed that early voting is taking place on a scale greater than ever before; 20 per cent of all voters cast their ballots early in 2004, compared with 15 per cent in 2000. The apparent increase reflects growing acceptance of the practice by states to make it easier for people to vote and to reduce pressure on polling stations on election day.

Republicans appear to have the advantage in absentee voting - which consists of mailing in ballots rather than voting in person - since it is popular among Republican-leaning older voters and members of the military. However, such voting, though important, is not taking place on the same scale as early voting.

Meanwhile, Obama's lead over McCain has grown to 12 points in the US presidential race, with crucial independent and women voters increasingly moving to his side, according to a Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released yesterday.

-With inputs from Financial Times and agencies