# Amazing Statistics On Voter Registration: Now, Will They All Actually Vote? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 15, 2008, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-statistics-on-voter-registration-now-will-they-all-actually-vote/468078 "2008-10-15T19:51:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-statistics-on-voter-registration-now-will-they-all-actually-vote/468078/1 "2008-10-15T19:51:57Z")
[Here](http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20081015/pl_mcclatchy/3072703) 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: > [@](#): > > Barack Obama’s campaign said Tuesday that its army of nationwide workers has registered millions of voters and that Democrats now hold a 3.34-million voter edge in 13 battleground states. > > The campaign cited figures from secretaries of state showing that Democrats have increased their advantages more than tenfold in North Carolina , from 18,274 to 198,557; among registered Florida voters from 368,757 in 2004 to 618,244; and by nearly triple in Pennsylvania , from 191,269 to 556,109. > > In Iowa , Democrats reversed a Republican lead of 7,658 in registered voters in 2004 to take a 103,756-voter advantage heading into this year’s election. > > Democrats gained a 93,727-voter advantage in Nevada , overcoming a 4,431 deficit in 2004. > > In Colorado , a state that Republican presidential candidates usually win, there are 49,280 more registered Democrats than there were in 2004 and nearly 80,000 fewer Republican registrants, the campaign said. In West Virginia , Democratic registration fell by 11,390 from 2004, while Republican registration rose by 224, but the Obama campaign said that Democratic registration in 2008 has outpaced the GOP’s by 14,845. 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? ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-statistics-on-voter-registration-now-will-they-all-actually-vote/468078/2 "2008-10-15T19:57:09Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-statistics-on-voter-registration-now-will-they-all-actually-vote/468078/3 "2008-10-15T20:24:02Z")
According to Wikipedia [There were about 122 million votes cast in 2004.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election) 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. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-statistics-on-voter-registration-now-will-they-all-actually-vote/468078/4 "2008-10-15T20:29:47Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > 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? 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. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-statistics-on-voter-registration-now-will-they-all-actually-vote/468078/5 "2008-10-15T20:42:59Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![hobscrk777](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a6a055/32.png) [@hobscrk777](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hobscrk777)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-statistics-on-voter-registration-now-will-they-all-actually-vote/468078/6 "2008-10-15T23:20:03Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-statistics-on-voter-registration-now-will-they-all-actually-vote/468078/7 "2008-10-15T23:42:29Z")
> [@hobscrk777](#): > > 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. 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.