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States Report Record Numbers of New Voter Registrations

Several states across the country have reported dramatic increases in new registered voters as the presidential election in November draws closer. While voter registration tends to increase in the years of a presidential election, the National Association of Secretaries of State has reported that state officials nationwide are reporting that these levels of registration are significantly higher than in 2000, the last presidential year, according to the Washington Post. Florida registered nearly twice as many new voters in the first half of 2004 as it did four years go in the same time period. Virginia registered 30 percent more voters in the month of August than it had four years prior, and Maryland registered nearly 80 percent more. Washington state has registered 200,000 new voters since August 14, and New Mexico has estimated that ten percent of those who vote in their state November 2 will be new voters. Georgia is reporting a 50 percent increase of new voters over the 2000 election. State electoral officials are crediting the increase to civic groups and advocacy organizations that have organized massive voter registration drives. The Feminist Majority Foundation’s Get Out Her Vote campaign is registering voters on college campuses and is reporting widespread interest in voting among college students. “You can tell students are into the election by what they’re wearing. There are lots of voting T-shirts: ÔVote or Die,’ ÔNovember 2,’ and FMF’s ÔVote As If Your Life Depends On It,'” said Candice Lopez, an organizer for Get Out Her Vote. “One thing is for sureÑthere is a lot of talk about the election this year, more than I can ever remember.” LEARN MORE Read articles from Ms. magazine’s special Election 2004 issue DONATE to the Feminist Majority Foundation’s Get Out Her Vote campaign

Sources:

Seattle Post-Intelligencer 10/5/04; Atlanta Journal-Constitution 10/4/04; Washington Post 10/02/04

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