TALLAHASSEE -- Republicans across Florida have mounted an early lead in returning absentee ballots and are showing up in greater numbers than Democrats since early voting began Monday. The GOP touted the numbers as a sign

of impending victory on Nov. 2. Democrats dismissed it as meaningless after just three days of early voting results. Florida Republicans have long flexed or

ganizational muscle by requesting and returning mail or absentee ballots in greater numbers than Democrats. But the GOP has not outpaced Democrats in early voting in Florida since it began eight years ago. Early voting began Oct. 18, and ends Oct. 30 in some counties, Oct. 31 in others. The first three days of early voting, coupled with returned absentee or mail ballots, show Republicans outpacing Democrats by 148,000 voters, according to figures provided by both political parties. The Democrats noted that Republicans had an almost identical advantage at this point in the

last off-year election in 2006, in which Democrats Alex Sink and Bill Nelson won statewide races for chief financial officer and U.S. Senate. ``There's no significance here,'' Democratic Party spokesman Eric Jotkoff said. ``We're three days into early voting and 12 days till the election.'' The early GOP advantage includes a lead of 124,444 in returned absentees and 23,668 in early voters, the Republican Party said. Those figures could validate the so-called enthusiasm gap said to favor the GOP this year. They include Miami construction worker Miguel Bay, 51, who's struggling to find work in weak economic times. He voted early Wednesday at a library in Coral Gables, where he voiced enthusiasm for the Republican brand and disappointment with President Barack Obam

a. ``We need changes,'' Bay said after voting for Marco Rubio for U.S. Senate and Rick Scott for governor. ``They're on the right path. I like reclaiming America. I don't like the social issues that Obama wants, redistributing wealth.'' Bay said Obama should have given tax breaks to businesses to they could hire people. ``I've gone from building houses to painting rooms,'' he said. Further upstate, in the conservative Panhandle, Mahala Fowler of Bonifay, a registered nurse, voted early for Scott and other GOP candidates, even though she's a registered Democrat. Read more:

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