WASHINGTON (November 3, 2012)--President Barack Obama heads toward Election Day with a lead over Republican Mitt Romney among early voters in key states that could decide the election.

But Obama's advantage isn't as big as the one he had over Republican Sen. John McCain four years ago, and that gives Romney's campaign hope that the former Massachusetts governor can erase the gap in Tuesday's election.

About 25 million people already have voted in 34 states and the District of Columbia.

No votes will be counted until Election Day but several battleground states are releasing the party affiliation of people who have voted early.

So far, Democratic voters outnumber Republicans in Florida, Iowa, Nevada, North Carolina and Ohio. Republicans have the edge in Colorado.