HILO » Early walk-in voting on Oahu and the Big Island has already passed the last presidential election in 2004 with one day left.

As of yesterday morning, more than 53,000 voters cast ballots at early voting sites statewide, state elections spokesman Rex Quidilla said.

With mail-in ballots included, there's potential for going over the total absentee vote of 133,762 in 2004, Quidilla said.

Not including yesterday's numbers, 29,343 on Oahu, 13,617 on the Big Island, 6,125 in Maui County and 3,923 on Kauai cast walk-in absentee ballots. Officials in all four counties were working late last night to update those numbers.

Voting was brisk on the University of Hawaii campus and at Honolulu Hale yesterday, Quidilla said.

On the Big Island, walk-in plus mail-in voting was running more than 5,800 votes ahead of the early voting in 2004. The midday total was 24,200. The total was 18,370 in 2004.

Democrats credited Barack Obama.

“;It's due to our native son. It's Hawaii's opportunity to put a native son in the White House,”; said Big Island Democrat Gil Kahele.

“;Four years ago, I would talk to young people about voting,”; said Hawaii County Party head John Buckstead. “;They weren't interested. It's totally different this time.”;

Hawaii Obama campaign director Andy Winer said that three weeks ago, the Obama people started contacting known supporters, urging them to vote early.

Republicans discount the Obama factor. Andy Blom, head of the state campaign for John McCain, said people are simply adapting to new patterns. Once they vote early, they tend to do it again in later elections, he said.

“;There's no indication that early voters are new voters,”; he said. “;There's no exciting new pattern one way or the other.”;

Republican Dylan Nonaka on the Big Island said Republican candidates have urged supporters to vote early as a counterweight to union officials who urge their mostly Democratic members to do so.