Today on the presidential campaign trail

Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., grimaces as Helen Matta of New Burn, N.C. kisses her while she snaps their picture at a rally in Greenville, N.C. Monday, May 5, 2008. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

IN THE HEADLINES

Clinton, Obama spar over gas price relief ahead of Indiana, N.C. primaries ... Voter rolls booming nationwide, far exceeding 2004, according to AP survey ... North Carolina, Indiana rewarded with more delegates for holding later contests ... Poll: Clinton holds slight lead over Obama in Indiana ahead of Tuesday primary ... McCain: Focus on illegal immigration in primary race hurt GOP's image

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Clinton, Obama duel on gas prices on eve of primaries

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) -- Dueling over gas prices, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama strained for every last vote Monday, the eve of the Indiana and North Carolina primaries that are the biggest prizes left in their epic Democratic nomination fight.

Her TV ads promoted her plan for a summer-long gas-tax holiday and contended she was the candidate who "gets it." He said the plan was just another Washington stunt.

Obama was the favorite in North Carolina, but both candidates campaigned vigorously there with polls showing a tightening race since Clinton's win in Pennsylvania two weeks ago. Indiana was considered a tighter race, with most polls in the final days showing Clinton taking the lead.

Obama went back and forth between the two states, pleading for votes. "I want your vote. I want it badly," he said on a factory floor in Durham.

Clinton also campaigned for blue-collar votes in North Carolina, where she talked about the hard times the country faces. "It's time to quit wringing our hands and start rolling up our sleeves," she said.

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More than 3.5 million new voters, AP survey finds

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) -- Voter excitement, always up before a presidential election, is pushing registration through the roof so far this year -- with more than 3.5 million people rushing to join in the historic balloting, according to an Associated Press survey that offers the first national snapshot.

Figures are up for blacks, women and young people. Rural and city. South and North.

Overall, the AP found that nearly one in 65 adult Americans signed up to vote in just the first three months of the year. And in the 21 states that were able to provide comparable data, new registrations have soared about 64 percent from the same three months in the 2004 campaign.

Voters are flocking to the most open election in half a century, inspired to support the first female president, the first black or the oldest ever elected. The bruising Democratic race has lasted longer than anyone expected, creating a burst of interest in states typically ignored in an election year.

The overall figures on new registrations were compiled by the AP in a survey of election officials nationwide. Six states and the District of Columbia were unable to provide statistics, meaning the total number of voters who registered between roughly Jan. 1 and March 31 almost certainly exceeds 3.6 million. One of the six, North Dakota, does not require voters to register.

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North Carolina, Indiana rewarded for later contests

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Good things such as Democratic delegates come to those who wait.

North Carolina, which holds its primary Tuesday, got an additional 24 delegates for moving its presidential nominating contest from April to May. Indiana, which also has its primary Tuesday, got six extra delegates for keeping its primary in May. North Carolina has 115 pledged delegates at stake, Indiana has 72.

With Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama locked in a historic battle for the Democratic nomination, the late-voting states are being rewarded with competitive races and extra delegates.

The extra delegates were part of the Democratic Party's efforts to control the nominating calendar.

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Poll: Clinton holds slight lead over Obama in Indiana

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Hillary Rodham Clinton is running slightly ahead of Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential primary race in Indiana, a new survey shows.

The Suffolk University poll found Clinton leading Obama by 6 points, 49 percent to 43 percent, with 6 percent of respondents undecided.

Despite trailing Clinton, Obama was seen as more popular, with 58 percent of respondents giving him a favorable rating compared with Clinton's 53 percent. Forty-four percent said they would vote Democratic if their choice of candidate lost the nomination, while 38 percent said they would vote for Republican John McCain.

The poll by Boston-based Suffolk University was conducted by telephone Saturday and Sunday. It involved interviews with 600 likely Democratic voters in Indiana. The margin of sampling error was plus or minus 4 percentage points.

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McCain: Focus on illegal immigration hurt GOP's image

PHOENIX (AP) -- Republican John McCain said Monday the focus on illegal immigration during the Republican primary race harmed his party's image among Hispanics.

The Arizona senator clinched the GOP nomination last month and has been campaigning freely since.

Speaking to reporters at a news conference on Cinco de Mayo, McCain said Hispanic citizens want America's borders secured and illegal immigrants to be treated humanely.

He said low-income, Hispanic citizens are vulnerable to losing their jobs to the lower wages accepted by illegal immigrants.

On broader immigration policies, McCain said local governments would not have to take on immigration problems had the federal government overhauled the country's immigration policies.

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DAILY TRACK

Barack Obama has a slight lead nationally over rival Hillary Rodham Clinton -- 50 percent to 45 percent -- in the Democratic presidential race, according to the latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking update.

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THE DELEGATE BREAKDOWN

Barack Obama: 1745.5

Hillary Rodham Clinton: 1608

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THE DEMOCRATS

Hillary Rodham Clinton stops in North Carolina to get out the vote, before campaigning in Indiana. Barack Obama discusses the economy with workers in North Carolina before a rally in Indianapolis.

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THE REPUBLICANS

John McCain held a news conference in Phoenix before addressing the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce in North Carolina.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY:

"This could change the face of American politics for decades to come." -- Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas, predicting permanent gains for her party as voter registration rolls boom nationwide.

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STAT OF THE DAY:

Lyndon B. Johnson was the last Democratic presidential candidate to win Indiana in the general election in 1964.

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Compiled by Ann Sanner.