(Columbia-AP) Feb. 3, 2004 - Democrats in South Carolina are going to the balloting places Tuesday to pick a presidential candidate, but a poll shows nearly a quarter of possible voters are not sure for whom they'll vote.

Polls released Tuesday morning by Zogby/MSNBC/Reuters indicate North Carolina Senator John Edwards leads voters in South Carolina with 32 percent of respondents saying they would vote for him, ahead of Massachusetts Senator John Kerry's 29 percent.

The third highest percentage went to "undecided" with 11 percent.

Orangeburg Representative Gilda Cobb-Hunter is one of them. She says the field of seven candidates has left her analyzing candidates at the last minute. Cobb-Hunter says she's no longer worried about who can beat President Bush, she wants to vote for someone she likes. Cobb-Hunter says she just hasn't decided who that is.

Furman University political scientist Danielle Vinson says voters are undecided, because they don't know enough about the candidates.

Campaign volunteers aren't restricted to answering phones. They're just about everywhere, shouting on street corners, waiving banners and knocking on doors in last ditch efforts to step up support for their candidate.

Longtime South Carolina supporters and recent converts spent Sunday posting campaign signs declaring their preferred Democratic presidential candidate and hoping neighbors and passers-by will agree when they vote in Tuesday's primary.

Trav Robertson placed his John Kerry sign in his yard just two days ago after attending the candidate's debate in Greenville. He had been a Gephardt supporter until the Congressman dropped out of race after the Iowa caucus. Now, he was trying to decide between Kerry and John Edwards, a decision he says could be difficult for many Southerners.

Jonathan Giesler, 52, has his yard dotted with campaign signs and has been supporting former Vermont Governor Howard Dean since late spring when he went to a Dean event in Washington, DC.

Kerry supporter Jim Reardon started dialing up voters at 9:00am. He's a Vietnam veteran from Massachusetts, "We feel this last effort could make the difference in South Carolina."

Time is running out to sway voters and for Edwards volunteer Elaine Lynch, that means pounding the pavement well into the night, "We've gone up in the polls, four points this morning and we like to think it's because of our foot power around the state."

One group is targeting college students. Cast members from MTV's the Real World are planning to be on the USC campus Tuesday at Davis Field. The reality show stars will be urging students to vote and helping to register them as part of a campaign called "Declare Yourself."

posted 7:57am by Chris Rees