Election Day is less than three weeks away, but half a million votes are already in in Florida. So far the heaviest voting is taking place in Miami Dade, the Tampa Bay area and along the I-4 corridor.

While 500,000 Floridians have already cast absentee ballots, nearly 2 million more have requested these ballots in the mail. Heavy interest in the presidential race is believed to be behind the rush to vote so soon.

Republicans are leading Democrats in absentee ballots returned 45% to 40%. That's despite a push by President Obama's campaign to have supporters vote absentee this year.

Early in-person voting begins next Saturday and runs through November 3rd. This process tends to dominated by Democrats.

Miami Dade is coming in 2nd for the most absentee ballots cast so far at 35,000. Pinellas County leads the way with 56,000.