A strong turnout emerged as voters in Pennsylvania are casting their ballots Tuesday in a primary critical to the Democratic presidential nomination race.
Polls opened at 7 a.m. local time (1100 GMT) and close at 8 p.m.(0000 GMT).
With 15 people already in line by 7:20 a.m., the polling station at John C. Anderson Cultural Center in Wynnefield, Pennsylvania, seems like to see a good turnout on Tuesday.
In Philadelphia, the early voters included Mayor Michael Nutter, a supporter of Senator Hillary Clinton of New York.
In Fellowship Hall at Conshohocken,, where Clinton is visiting, election official Jacqui Moore said turnout at the hall is running20-1 Democratic in a precinct where primary votes typically are split evenly between the two parties.
She said the 110 people who already had voted there by approximately 9:30 a.m. represented the typical turnout for an entire primary election day.
Most political analysts agree that a victory of the primary is more crucial for Clinton.
Senator Barrack Obama of Illinois leads in delegates, the popular vote and states won so far this primary season.
If Clinton wins at the end of the day, it would allow her to make a small dent in Obama's lead, and more.
"If Clinton wins by more than 10 points, which was her margin in neighboring Ohio and New Jersey, her campaign will have new momentum and she will soldier on," said Bill Schneider, CNN senior political analyst.
"If Clinton wins by single digits, we're in a political twilight zone. Nothing changes," Schneider said.
On the eve of the primary, a CNN poll of polls, which averages the three latest surveys in Pennsylvania, placed Clinton ahead of Obama by seven points, 50 percent to 43 percent, with 7 percent undecided.
But if Obama scores an win, "Clinton will face tremendous pressure to end her campaign rather than damage the party," said Schneider.
To secure the nomination, either candidate needs to grab 2,024 delegates.
At present, Obama leads Clinton in delegate tally 1,648 to 1,504 and neither of them is likely to get enough numbers very soon.
There are 158 delegates at stake in the Pennsylvania primary.
Source:Xinhua
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