By KRYSTEL ROLLE, NG Staff Reporter

The excitement surrounding today's face-off between U.S. presidential candidates senior Arizona Senator John McCain and Illinois Senator Barack Obama has caused unprecedented early voter turnouts all across the United States and many Bahamians who are able to vote there are among those anxious for the results tonight.

Several people who spoke to The Guardian yesterday voiced their support of Democratic nominee Barack Obama. No McCain supporters could be reached up to press time.

One New Providence native who now lives in Miami said she is joining with other Bahamians in a bid to ensure that Obama becomes the next president of the United States.

Self proclaimed champion for change, Andrea Smith, 22, said she is doing all she can to get people to vote for Obama.

"I'm going to the polls (Tuesday) morning and I'm taking my friends with me. I'm actually taking them with me to try and get them to vote," she said.

When asked what was the determining factor that caused her to back Obama, Smith said: "I'm voting for him because it's history in the making. I think he has a lot of positive initiatives as far as change, and is bringing forth a lot of positive ideas, even though I really don't agree with him imposing higher taxes on big companies because it may cause companies to scale back. When he increases the taxes on these big companies it may have an effect on the jobs where they might lay off more people or the salaries may not increase. But other than that I agree with him 100 percent."

Additionally, she said McCain, the Republican nominee, is too much like President George Bush.

"Just about everything that Bush has done McCain has agreed with. McCain went with Bush 90 percent of the time. It's just like being for Bush again, and we don't want [any] more of Bush," she added.

Dr. Derek Pinder, a physician in Tennessee, agreed with Smith.

"Of course I voted for Barack Obama. I voted last week already. It's a choice that you have to make between Obama and McCain. McCain is just going to be a repeat of what George Bush is doing. He has no plans for the economy. And I think historically we are on the verge of something great — that this is the quantum shift that is happening in the United States by electing a black man. The attitudes have shifted since the 1950s and for Americans to elect a black man is a quantum leap," Smith said.

But aside from that, the physician said, Obama really is the best man for the job.

Kendra Thompson said she along with her husband and two sisters are all voting for Obama. In fact, the Exuma native said her relatives are so excited that they have plastered Obama stickers on their doors and cars.

"We just can't wait until (Tuesday). We're practically bursting at the seams. I really want Barack to win because he just personifies what this country needs right now. We have had the Republicans in office for far, far too long and it's time to get them out," she said.

"People are being inspired to vote because they know that they're not going to get more of the same with Obama; you're going to get change. And hopefully, (Tuesday) change will come," she added.

Brett Smith, 19, of Miami, Florida, said he is voting for Obama for that exact reason.

"Right now the United State needs a change. So we need to vote for someone who is not only for change, but change that we can believe in, and that person is Barack Obama. He's trying to make the poor rich so I have to vote for him," he said.

This year's election will be historic for a number of reasons. If McCain wins he would go on to become the oldest first-term president in U.S. history. If Obama wins he would become the first African-American president.

In the case of the vice-president candidates, Republican Sarah Palin would be the first female to hold that position. Democratic nominee Joe Biden would be the first Roman Catholic vice-president if the Democrats are successful.

The presidential election of 2008 will be the 56th consecutive quadrennial presidential election.

Up to yesterday, Obama was leading McCain in the national polls.