More than 3.5 million new voters, AP survey finds

Source: Associated Press

Voter excitement, always up before a presidential election, is pushing registration through the roof so far this year - with more than 3.5 million people rushing to join in the historic balloting, according to an Associated Press survey that offers the first national snapshot.

... "This could change the face of American politics for decades to come," said Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas, predicting permanent gains for her party. Republicans, concerned at least somewhat for 2008, say these surges come and go over the longer term.

While detailed data are available from only a handful of states, registration seems to be up particularly strongly for blacks and women.

... The numbers even seem to be benefiting Democrats in states that generally lean Republican. In Wyoming, where registered Republicans still outnumber Democrats by more than 2-to-1, Democratic registrations in the first three months of the year surpassed those for the GOP. Ditto in West Virginia, Iowa, Louisiana and North Carolina - all states won by President Bush in 2004. There could be more: Only 10 states had figures on new voter registrations by party.

Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/V/VOTER_REGISTRATION?SITE=MTMIS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

However, so far we've remained stuck at 50%.

They love their system..

In the general election last time, the turnout of the voting age population was 56.69%. I think it will go higher.

Of course, you know this, but lowering the voting age seems to have permanently depressed voting turnout, simply because the pool of voters grew. Young people move more often and have lower incomes, both of which are associated with lower rates of voting. What we need, long term, is a structural change in the system to increase the turnout of the young. Automatic national voter registration would be a good start. It could not possibly cost more to administer than the patchwork, state-administered system we currently have.

good in this regard. In those states with closed primaries, people wanting a real choice have had to register as Democrats. The news that registrations of Democrats in mainly Republican states has outpaced that of Republicans is good news, indeed. Most of these folks will remain Democratic voters, hopefully for life: more than a few will become activists like most of us here on DU.

How much of this is due to the Obama campaign? The emphasis on young voters helps to build the party. When we sign up a new registrant who's 70, it does much less for our future electoral prospects than registering an 18 year-old.

This could be a watershed year for us, a year in which we build a foundation of electoral success for many years to come.

that the gains in registered Dems are not negated by non-verifiable electronic voting.

I just don't trust the system.