Here are the latest figures out of Iowa.
Here are the numbers for the absentee ballot requests:
Dems 233,523 (44.94%)
Reps 159,929 (30.79%)
Inds 125,562 (24.17%)
Oth 581 (negligible)
TOTAL 519,595
Here are the new ballot requests since the last report:
Dems +8,847
Reps +7,052
Inds +7,438
This is the sixth straight report in which Democrats outstripped Republicans in absentee ballot requests. In this report, we lead ballot requests by about 1,800. In the previous report, we led by 950. Before that, it was 600. And before that, we led by only 300. This is a very clear and positive trend. And for the first time since early voting began, the Republicans' percentage of absentee ballots requested went down, albeit by only two hundredths of a percentage point.
And now, here are the numbers for actual ballots cast:
Dems 164,528 (47.32%)
Reps 108,759 (31.28%)
Inds 74,055 (21.30%)
Oth 369 (negligible)
TOTAL 347,711
Here are the ballots cast since the previous daily report:
Dems +9,439
Reps +9,079
Inds +6,502
Republicans got within about 250 ballots of Democrats in the previous report. In this report, Democrats cast about 350 more ballots than Republicans. I think everyone can see that Iowa will be closer this time than it was in 2008. But the question is, how much closer? And also, are we going to win Iowa? Ultimately, I think Obama takes it, but I believe it's going to be close.
Here is the link to the report: http://sos.iowa.gov/...