Miami
29 January 2008
Republican presidential candidates are hoping a victory in Tuesday's Florida primary will give them a clear lead in the race for the party's nomination. In Miami, VOA's Brian Wagner reports that voting for the Democratic Party is seen as mostly symbolic, because the candidates have avoided campaigning here.
Even before the polls opened, more than one million voters in Florida cast early ballots in the state's Democratic and Republican primaries. Experts say results from Florida, which has a large and diverse voter base, may signal key trends for upcoming votes.
Democratic voters also are casting ballots in Florida, although the vote may have little impact on the party's final decision for a presidential candidate. National party leaders stripped the state of its nominating delegates, after Florida Democrats moved up the date of their primary.
Democratic candidates have agreed not to campaign in the state, although Senator Hillary Clinton has said she opposes the decision and planned to be here on polling day.
Meanwhile, Clinton, Senator Barack Obama, and former Senator John Edwards have been making campaign stops across the nation before so-called Super Tuesday next week, when more than 20 states hold primaries and caucuses.