40% May Vote Early This Year

A record number of votes will be cast this year before Election Day rolls around, predicts Reuters. It quotes political scientists who think the figure will be somewhere around 35% to 40%—and once again, the trend looks to favor President Obama. He's up 54-39 among early voters so far, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling data. (No wonder the president himself voted early himself.) Of course, Hurricane Sandy could put a dent in the numbers this week. Maryland, for example, is rolling out generators today for early-polling stations, notes the Maryland Gazette. (More Election 2012 stories.)