Tucson Region

Registering to vote is at record clip

They're showing up in droves. Democrats. Republicans. Independents. Especially independents. Pima County residents are registering to vote in record numbers, prompting speculation that polling places this November could take on the appearance of a shopping mall the day after Christmas. "We have never seen this much activity this early," said county Recorder F. Ann Rodriguez, who with her staff is working overtime to wade through the flood of registration forms that have inundated their office in the Old County Courthouse. Many voters are so anxious to do their civic duty, they aren't even waiting until Election Day. A record number of voters also have already requested early ballots. "And it ain't over," a beleaguered Rodriguez said. Thanks to voter-registration drives by political parties and special-interest groups, 19,678 new voters were added to the rolls since January. Even President Bush is getting in on the act. "I'm asking for your help to register voters," Bush said at a rally in Phoenix on Aug. 11. "You've got a lot of new people moving in this state, and they, like you, have a duty … to vote and to participate." According to the latest state figures, Republicans continue to outnumber Democrats statewide - 920,556 to 807,389. But the number of Republicans dropped by about 1,500 voters between October 2003 and March 2004, while Democrats saw their numbers climb by about 19,000 voters over the same period. Elections officials attribute the rise in Democrats to interest generated by the party's presidential primary last February. In Pima County alone, 4,400 new Democrats registered in the five months leading up to the primary. As in the past, turnout for the Sept. 7 state primary is not expected to be very high. November will be different. Seventy-seven percent of county voters cast ballots in the last presidential election. This year, Rodriguez said, it could easily top 80 percent. "There's a lot more interest, from everyone, on both sides of the aisle," she said. The aisle, though, is no longer limited to two sides. While the ranks of Democrats and Republicans have grown, it is the soaring number of independents that is attracting attention. Over the past eight months, more than half of the county's new voters opted not to be affiliated with the major parties. "The two parties have a problem," said Rodriguez, a Democrat. "I think voters are getting tired of the 'who's blaming who' thing. They just want good public servants." The explosion of independent voters comes as no surprise to Jean Thomas. The retired Tucson teacher grew up in a Republican household and can remember casting her first presidential ballot for Barry Goldwater in 1964. But because there are elements of both parties she likes - and dislikes - she registered as an independent. "I think it's very difficult for people to identify completely with one party or the other," Thomas said. "They can't buy the whole package. I know I can't let myself make that kind of commitment." The nearly 101,0000 independents eligible to vote in next month's primary is a record, Rodriguez said. Whether they actually do so is another matter. She said turnout among independents even in general elections is typically below 50 percent. Independents can vote in either the Democratic or Republican primary - but only one. Among the groups actively signing up new voters is the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN, a nonpartisan community activist organization. The group's Project Vote has registered nearly 17,000 new county voters over the past 10 months, said managing supervisor Mike Monzel. "So many people are disenfranchised and believe their vote doesn't count," said Monzel. "The first step in getting them involved is getting them registered." ACORN's focus is low-income and minority neighborhoods. He described the success they're having as "unprecedented." Rodriguez used the same word to describe voter interest in using early ballots for the Sept. 7 primary. As of Friday, 46,147 early ballots were mailed by her office to voters who requested one. That is 6,000 more than were requested in the 2002 primary and almost 19,000 more than for the primary four years ago. "I expect it could go over 50,000 or 60,000," Rodriguez said.