The contest will come to a head on Nov. 4 when citizens from across the nation make their way to polling stations in order to complete their patriotic duty by voting for the next president of the United States. 

Here in Saratoga County, supporters of the two nominees are getting an early start on the campaign in an attempt to sure up a victory for their candidate come November.

Chairman of the Saratoga County Republican Committee John “Jasper” Nolan said he feels very confident in Senator McCain’s chances at winning Saratoga County due to the strong Republican base that exists in the area.

“Senator McCain is a hero, patriot and he has the experience necessary to move our country forward in difficult times,” Nolan said. “He has an excellent chance of carrying New York State due to his support in Upstate New York and he should be competitive throughout the country.”

According to Nolan, the Republican Committee intends to hold 30 to 40 events throughout Saratoga County with hopes of bringing in new voters, while enticing long time Republicans to get out and vote. The Committee will have volunteers go door-to-door throughout the election process and Republican incumbents like Joseph Bruno and James Tedisco, among others, will also be out campaigning in the county.

“We intend to rally in every town in Saratoga County from now right up until the election,” Nolan said.

Many believe McCain’s biggest obstacles in the election will be distancing himself from George W. Bush’s policies and ensuring people that he is not too old to complete his presidential duties.

Nolan said that in 1939 when World War II broke out Winston Churchill was 65 years old, which is like being 75 today, and he was very successful at pulling the world through the war.

“At 71, Senator McCain has the ability both of mind and body of a man in his 60s,” Nolan said. “He has the experience and he is very capable of dealing with the difficult issues that our country faces today - all you have to do is look to the past.”

Supporters of Senator Obama in Saratoga County are also gearing up for this year’s election. Elliott Masie, owner of The Massie Center and a local organizer for Barack Obama, has started a group called ObamaSaratoga which aims at registering voters and growing a voting base for Obama in Saratoga County and beyond.

Masie, who is a registered Independent, has been a supporter of Barack Obama since he first declared his candidacy for president.

“I believe Senator Obama represents a very significant change in both how one approaches campaigning and more importantly how he is going to approach the issues, whether they be foreign policy or the economy,” Masie said. “He is the kind of person that will give us a really creative, smart and well thought out approach to some of the problems we face.”

According to Masie, New York would historically not be a state where you would have lots of campaigning going on because it’s not considered a “swing state,” but Obama has laid out a 50 state strategy for his campaign.

This summer Masie and his group will implement a four part campaign, which includes voter registration, a campaign office on Broadway, a fundraiser in August and a host of forums which will revolve around the major issues the country faces today. As the election draws closer, the group also intends to get out the vote through phone banking, sending members to other parts of the country to help campaign and creating a volunteer training center at The Masie Center.

“We have a really ambitious agenda, but we are real excited and we are going to work with a range of groups throughout the area to strengthen our cause,” Masie said.

Masie feels Obama has a strong chance at winning Saratoga County in the General Election.

“It all depends on how many people get out and vote,” He said. “But I am not sure if people are voting necessarily by party at this moment. I know I’m sure not.”

Since World War II, only two Republicans have won New York State in the General Election—Dwight Eisenhower in 1952 and 1956 and Ronald Regan in 1984.

In 2004, John Kerry defeated George W. Bush in New York 4,314,280 to 2,962,567 to gain the state’s 31 Electoral College votes. According to a recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, Obama currently leads McCain 47 percent to 41 percent with a 3.1 percent margin of error in the general election race.