Early voting gets under way in some states

PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 22 (UPI) -- Nearly one-third of U.S. voters will cast ballots early this year, up from 20 percent in 2004 and 15 percent in 2000, voting experts predict.

Residents of Virginia, Kentucky and Georgia are among the first who can vote early in person and by mail, USA Today reported.

During the next few weeks, at least 34 states and the District of Colombia will allow early in-person voting for the Nov. 4 elections.

Paul Gronke of the Early Voting Information Center in Portland, Ore., predicted about half the voters in closely contested Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico would vote before Election Day. Florida's early voting tally could reach 40 percent, he said.

"This is a little bit astounding," Rosemary Rodriguez, chairwoman of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission in New York, told USA Today.

The campaigns of Republican presidential nominee John McCain and Democratic candidate Barack Obama said they're ready, USA Today said.

"We go through massive efforts to make sure our supporters know all the ways that they can vote," Jon Carson, Obama's national field director, told the newspaper.

The 72-hour get-out-the-vote effort of yore now is "a 720-hour program," said Rich Beeson, Republican National Committee's political director.