The race is on for Florida

The race is on for Florida

OCTOBER 24, 2008 - The race for Florida is red hot.

With polls suggesting that the presidential race in Florida is essentially even, both John McCain and Barack Obama have made the state the front line of the presidential war.

The latest numbers have the candidates at a virtual dead heat with McCain ahead of Obama 49 percent to 48 percent. Eighty-five percent (85%) of Florida voters say they are certain who they

will vote for in November, while 15 percent say there is good chance they can still change their minds.

Florida is again key this election, with 27 electoral votes, 10 percent of the 270 needed to clinch the election and both candidates have targeted Florida with a campaign blitz this week.

Record crowds are heading to the polls and are willing to wait in long lines for early voting. Most analysts expect more Democrats than Republicans to vote early, but GOP voters have requested 295,000 absentee ballots statewide compared with 199,000 Democrats.

Registration numbers show a 600,000-voter edge for Democrats over Republicans in Florida: 4.7 million versus 4.1 million, with 2.1 million people identifying with neither party.

The tighter race in Florida is also consistent with national polling.