ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, October 11, 1996 TAG: 9610110042
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG
SOURCE: LISA APPLEGATE STAFF WRITER
More New River Valley residents have registered to vote next month than in previous years, much to the lament of local registrars.
After the registration deadline passed Monday, registrars said they've been swamped by paperwork, mostly from those who registered in the last seven months. That was when the new "motor-voter" law went into effect. It allows registration by mail or at various state agencies, such as the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Voter registration also typically surges in presidential election years.
Compared with last fall, registration is up by 3,005, or 10 percent in Montgomery County; 623 potential voters, or 3.7 percent in Pulaski County; and 469 would-be voters, or 8.4 percent in Radford. Complete numbers from Giles and Floyd counties were unavailable Thursday.
Registrars had until today to process the registration forms, and they say the motor-voter applications have slowed things down. Tracy Howard, the registrar in Radford, said some people don't even realize they're registering to vote when the fill out forms at the DMV.
Before the act, a deputized registrar had to be present to register; now, anyone can send in a form. The registrars said they've even seen forms from 16-year-olds, who can't vote for two more years. Still, they say they have to process the application and send out a notice stating why the person is not allowed to vote yet.
No one is sure whether all this effort will result in higher turnout at the polls come Nov. 5.
"If everyone shows up to vote then it'll be wonderful," said Howard. "If not, it'll be a mess."
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