INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Some 90,000 people have already cast ballots for next week's Indiana primary, far outpacing the total number of absentee votes during the last presidential primary in 2004.

That figure will continue to grow in the days leading up to the May 6 primary as the Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton campaigns push supporters to get their votes in as soon as possible.

The Indiana secretary of state's office reported that 89,408 people had voted early with their county clerk's office or by mail-in ballots through Monday. Fewer than 57,000 such votes were cast four years ago.

The state is not tracking how many early votes are being cast in the Democratic or Republican primaries, but applications to county election offices for absentee ballots are running about 3-to-1 Democratic.

State Democratic Chairman Dan Parker, who is supporting Clinton, said both campaigns had key demographic groups among their typical supporters who were prime targets for early voting — older voters for Clinton who might have difficulty traveling to voting sites and first-time and younger voters for Obama.

"Obviously, any vote you can bank prior to the election is an important one," Parker said. "Voting early is critically important to both campaigns."

The two presidential campaigns conducted extensive voter registration drives leading up to the April 7 deadline.

Since then, they have promoted early voting in their commercials and organized efforts to get people to voting sites. In one, the Obama campaign provided rides from the Indiana University campus in Bloomington to the Monroe County clerk's office.

Numerous counties have seen large early turnouts. In Monroe County and Evansville's Vanderburgh County, more than three times as many ballots have been cast over the total from 2004. Other large counties, including South Bend's St. Joseph County and Terre Haute's Vigo County, have already doubled their totals from four years ago.

Obama campaign spokesman Nick Kimball said a significant effort was being made to make sure people know they can vote before the primary.

"Especially if there is any chance they won't be around May 6th," Kimball said. "They can avoid the lines and they can get in and out pretty quickly."