Indiana: Republican crossover votes vital

INDIANAPOLIS, May 3 (UPI) -- Republican crossover voters may play a vital part in Indiana's Democratic presidential primary as growing numbers of Republicans switch sides, polls show.

Since the primaries began in January, increasing numbers of conservative voters have switched sides to cast votes in the Democratic races, The New York Times reported Saturday.

In some states, crossover votes reportedly counted for up to 10 percent of the total vote.

"I used to like John McCain, but he's aligning himself too closely with what Bush did, and that's just not what I want for this country," Indiana Republican Shirley Morgan said.

Indiana's Republican voters seem to be pushed toward Democratic candidates mostly because of issues concerning the country's economy and disappointment with the Bush administration, interviews have shown, the Times reported.

Democratic nominee hopefuls Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton have seen a positive impact from crossover votes, vote statistics and surveys indicate.