Final push is on

COLUMBUS (AP) — Democrats say they have been padding their lead ahead of Tuesday’s election, logging hundreds of thousands of early votes. Republicans here in this fiercely contested state say their models have produced recent wins despite their rivals’ bluster.

Come Tuesday, we’ll know who is right.

At least 1.5 million Ohioans will have cast ballots ahead of Tuesday’s elections, the state’s elections chief predicted. Campaign aides say that number is likely to be revised as voters have the chance for the first time in Ohio to cast a ballot early without an excuse.

“If we get our votes out, the way things are breaking, it’s still tight in Ohio,” said Rep. Tim Ryan, D-17th, of Niles.

So here in Columbus, where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by a 2-to-1 margin, Obama and McCain supporters went door-to-door this weekend, looking for any unturned voter.

“Have you voted yet?” Obama supporter Jim Moore asked northern Columbus resident Andrew Jones, who had just gotten home. “You are going to vote on Tuesday? You know where your polling location is, right?”

Jones tells him that, yes, he planned to vote for Obama.

The polling place is right down the tree-lined and windy street, Moore tells him. Plenty of time to volunteer a few hours for the campaign after voting, right?

“I’m kind of full right now,” Young replied, taking a draw from his almost-finished cigarette.

Therein lies the quandary for Obama’s campaign. Polls show Obama tied with McCain, but there’s no telling if the voters will be there. Obama draws broad support from first-time voters and sporadic voters. Without them, there is no way he wins.

That’s why Obama has made such an aggressive push to get these people to vote early. It’s also why McCain aides and advisers aren’t despondent over high early-voting turnout.

Here in Franklin County, almost 220,000 voters have cast ballots early — overwhelmingly Democrats logging their support.

But not all.

Retiree Denver Ward told Obama supporters this weekend to go away.

“He’s too young,” Ward told Obama volunteers as they walked through his north Columbus neighborhood. “We don’t have long enough for you to convince me. He’s just too young.”

Others just have doubts.

“My son says that if he [Obama] is elected, he’s assassinated in the first month,” said Nancy Teal, who was sitting on her Columbus front porch and still considering a vote for Obama.

Jason Mauk, the Ohio Republican Party’s top operative and veteran of President Bush’s 2004 re-election bid, said McCain can still win.

“We’ve proven our effectiveness in voter turnout during the last two presidential elections. I’m confident in our program,” Mauk said.