MIAMI _ The crush of early voting in Broward and Miami-Dade counties is leaning decidedly to the left, with Democrats lining up at the polls more than three times as often as Republicans, according to Democratic Party numbers.

That trend -- though most pronounced in voter-rich South Florida -- follows throughout Florida, breathing optimism into Democratic candidates and helping balance the decided edge Republicans carry in absentee voting.

During the first four days of early voting, roughly 53 percent of Floridians taking to the polls were registered Democrats, according to figures compiled by the Florida Democratic Party that have not been challenged by the GOP. About 31 percent were registered Republicans.

In South Florida, the early vote totals have been even more one-sided.

In Broward, 70 percent of early voters were Democrats, 14 percent Republicans and 16 percent Independents, the numbers show. In Miami-Dade, the breakdown was 57 percent Democrat, 25 percent GOP and the rest Independent.

Miami-Dade and Broward together account for about one in five of the state's voters, making the region a key player in determining which way Florida goes on Nov. 4.

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