US election daily dig: Early voting gives Hillary Clinton a boost

There are just 13 days to go until election day, but millions of people across the US are already casting their ballots in states that allow early voting.

The latest figures suggest more than nine million people have voted so far, and although that is just a fraction of the 129 million who took part in the 2012 election, the data does give us some nuggets of insight.
Here's what we know so far, courtesy of our North America reporter Anthony Zurcher:
Because many states disclose the party affiliation of those who have voted, we know that Democrats and Republicans are running neck-and-neck in Florida - a good sign for Hillary Clinton, given that Republicans in the state usually early vote in larger numbers.
In Colorado and Nevada, Democrats are significantly outperforming past results at this point - more good news for the former secretary of state. 
But the opposite is true in Iowa - a state Mr Trump desperately needs to win. Indications of lower turnout in Ohio's big cities could also be good news for the Republican.
Of course, this information tells us nothing about how those not affiliated to the major parties are voting - or how many Americans may be crossing party lines in this most unconventional election.
FiveThirtyEight: Americans love early voting, and it might help Clinton

The latest

One reason the Democrats may be doing slightly better in early voting is down to their ground game - knocking on doors, speaking to voters on the phone and handing out campaign materials (signs, stickers, etc) so they can show their support.
Critics say Donald Trump's campaign has failed to understand the importance of this and comments on Monday by a Republican official in a swing county in Nevada back that up.
Roger Edwards, chairman of the Washoe County Republican Party, told NBC News that he was desperate for more resources, but couldn't get the Trump campaign to send him any despite calling them every day and being in a swing state.
"I need 2,000 yard signs. I need 10,000 bumper stickers. And I don't even get a call back," he told NBC's Chris Jansing.