The AP is reporting that early voting in Indiana’s primary might be an advantage for Obama:

About 20 percent of the 127,000-plus absentee ballots received as of early Friday were cast in three Indiana counties — Marion, Monroe and Lake — that political observers believe Obama is strongly favored to win.

Lake County has a large population of black voters and is in Chicago’s shadow. Obama has typically won big among college-age voters, and Monroe County is the home of Indiana University in Bloomington. Obama’s campaign sought out IU students with voter registration and early voting drives and a free Dave Matthews concert.

And as the Indianapolis Star reports:

Lake and Porter counties made up 15 percent of the state’s Democratic vote in the 2004 presidential campaign. Only Marion County had a higher share, 17 percent.

Beyond Northwest Indiana, the cities of South Bend and Fort Wayne give the northern part of the state about one-third of the state’s Democratic vote …

Early absentee voting wraps up Monday. These votes must be physically in, and not postmarked, by noon. Their impact, however, could be a crucial part of Obama’s hopes of winning, or at least getting close to winning, Indiana.