The voting before the primary

SAN JOSE – Hillary Clinton is well ahead in the polls here in California, but conventional wisdom has it that Barack Obama has the momentum. That’s why the Clinton campaign is so happy about the explosion in the popularity of absentee balloting in California in recent years.

When the votes are counted after Tuesday’s primary, it’s likely that close to half of them will have been cast early, predicts Ace Smith, Clinton’s California state director.

So Clinton will have locked in a good chunk of her support before last week’s ugly fight in South Carolina, or maybe even Ted Kennedy’s endorsement of Obama, gave anyone second thoughts.

Asked after Clinton’s rally here tonight if he planned to vote Tuesday, Leo Roma proudly declared, “Already did!”

Roma, 74, said he and his wife vote absentee because they have trouble getting around.

“We sent them in last Monday, to make sure they got there,” he said.