Big Uptick in Voter Registration

LONGVIEW — Election administrators in Gregg and surrounding counties reported Wednesday a stout increase in the number of voters registering in September. According to KETK, with the registration deadline less than a week away, election officials said they are preparing for a large East Texas turnout November 6th. October 9th is the deadline to register to vote in the general election, which includes a White House battle between President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.

Republican Ted Cruz and Democrat Paul Sadler also are vying for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Kay Bailey Hutchison. Kathryn Nealy, Gregg County elections administrator, said her office at the Gregg County Courthouse has received about 100 registrations a day since September 24. Gregg County is seeing a traditional amount of people registering as first-time voters leading up to a presidential election, said Nealy, who has 23 years of experience in the county’s elections. Election officials for surrounding counties also reported seeing a large number of voters registering during the final days before the deadline.