Here is an interesting article on the work the Obama camp has been doing to register new voters.
Here is part of the info from the attached link that shows the gains:
I have to assume that, come election day, there will be quite a few volunteers attempting to contact every single newly registered voter to get them to the polls.
So, if these new voters actually go to the polls and vote, will this effort to register them be perhaps the single most important factor in this election?
it’s all smoke in the wind until election day and the actual votes are cast. I think that the effort they have made will certainly pay dividends for them, but I don’t think it’s the most important factor. I would place that on the candidate himself. For the dems at least, Obama has managed to generate enough intrest in the system to result in those increased numbers. A boring candidate that failed to motivate anyone wouldn’t have seen such gains regarless of the herculean effort of volunteers.
According to Wikipedia There were about 122 million votes cast in 2004.
That’s not the most important number, though. Turnout in 2004 was roughly 57% of the voting-age population. That was the highest percentage since 1968.
However, the percentage of eligible voters who are registered is somewhere around 70-75%. New registrations won’t mean squat unless the gap narrows between those registered and those who actually vote.
I don’t think so.
The new voters are very likely being underpolled, so most of the various polls that show big Obama leads are showing them without those voters being counted much at all.
But! I think for the future, this might be a hugely significant thing. Getting people involved and feeling as if they have a voice, a choice, and an interest is a great thing and can change the world.
Here here! I have done as much as I can in this campaign season, even though I am in a solid blue state, I’ll still do all that I can on election day.
The OP raises a very interesting question, and it’s one that is particularly relevant to me right now. I’m a college student living outside of my home voting district, but I am nonetheless very intent on voting via absentee ballot. However, despite my best efforts at doing so, I may not be able to vote. I requested an absentee ballot three weeks ago. One week ago I contacted the voting office in my hometown and I was told that the ballot had been returned to them by the mail - apparently they had my temporary address incorrect. I provided them with a corrected address and was told it was going out in the mail pronto. Over a week later (as of today) and I still haven’t received my ballot. And of course, the election is only getting closer by the minute. I’m going to be lividly furious if I can’t exercise one of my Constitutional rights because of someone’s incompetence - whether it be in the postal service, the voting office, wherever.
By an unfortunate twist of fate, my roommate, who is also outside his home voting district, is in the exact same situation as I am. He has contacted his home office and has heard the same sort of thing I have - the ballot’s on its way, nothing to worry about, etc.
I can’t help but wonder how many young people find themselves in the situation my roommate and I do. Without a doubt there are record numbers of young people registered to vote for this election, but many of them are college age like myself. How many of them will desire to vote but will have their absentee ballot lost, either en route to them or en route back to their hometown? Does anyone have any historical statistics about this sort of thing? I’d very much like to see it.
Tomorrow, call the town hall where you currently are living, i.e. where your dorm or apartment is. Find out a. if the state you go to school in is one that allows college students to register and vote there (NH and Iowa at the very least allow this - I don’t know if they’re exceptions or the rule) and B. if it is, do you still have time to change your registration to the town you’re living in.