Early Exit Polls Project Barack Obama The Winner In Massachusetts

The early exit polls show Barack Obama with a 56% to 41% for McCain. There are 12 electoral votes at stake in this eastern seaboard state. Voters were lined up early down sidewalks outside polling places across the state of Massachusetts as preparations were made to accommodate a record turnout of three million voters.

It's surprising though, because neither candidate spent any significant amount of time campaigning in the mainly reliable Democratic state. Massachusetts has not voted for a Republican presidential candidate since 1984 when Ronald Reagan took it from former Vice President Walter Mondale. A poll conducted on October 27-28 gave Barack Obama a 17-percentage point lead over John McCain in a survey of 658 likely Massachusetts voters by Survey USA.

Massachusetts is also a state where all 10 of the representatives in the US House are up for reelection. None of them are facing a serious challenge however. John Kerry is running for his 5th term in the US Senate there, facing off against Republican Jeff Beatty, an Army vet and former CIA agent. The early exit polls show Beatty trailing heavily 33% to Kerry's 61%.

Twelve electoral votes are at stake in Massachusetts. Right now, the early exit polls project Barack Obama as the winner of those 12 votes.

Massachusetts voters also have to decide ballot questions to abolish the state income tax, decriminalize possession of an ounce or less of marijuana, and ban dog racing.

These results are the preliminary exit polls from the 2008 presidential elections for the state of Massachusetts. They will change throughout the evening, so if you have an update, please post the updated results for the state of Massachusetts in the comments area.