Meanwhile, voting begins

Doors opened at 8:30 Tuesday morning for voters to cast their absentee ballots for the next president in a crucial swing state.

Early voting began in Ohio a day after the Ohio Supreme Court and two separate federal judges gave the go-ahead. President Bush narrowly won the state in the 2004 election, and early voting will likely give Democrats an edge in the Buckeye State.

The disputed early voting law allows Ohio residents to register and vote absentee on the same day. By law voters must be registered 30 days before the election, but Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, a Democrat, ruled that the 30-day provision shouldn't stop people from voting absentee immediately after being registered.

The Republican-dominated state Supreme Court backed her decision, as well as two separate federal judges.

"This ruling is a victory for all Ohio voters," Brunner said in a statement.

Presidential hopeful Barack Obama's targeted voters in poor and minority neighborhoods have traditionally had a harder time getting registered, and then making it to the polls on Election Day. Thanks to Monday's court decisions, these Democratic-leaning voters can do it all at once.

The ruling prompted the Ohio GOP to lash out at Brunner.

"This is a win for Jennifer Brunner's partisan efforts to aide the Democrat turnout strategy," Ohio GOP Chairman Bob Bennett said in a statement.

Still, Republicans weren't ceding the early voting crowd just because they were engaged in a court challenge.

"You have a special opportunity to help elect John McCain, Sarah Palin, and Republicans across the ballot," a page on the Republican National Committee's Web site said. "Use this tool to locate your nearest early voting center, where you can register and vote in person."

All voters must be registered by Oct. 6, so both campaigns are looking to maximize their target voters' participation in the week window they now have.

In Columbus, Ohio, voters wanting to cast ballots as soon as possible on Tuesday morning had set up tents Monday night to wait in line outside the Franklin County Board of Elections.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.