Study: Voter interest high, registrations up

— -- An estimated 153.1 million Americans have registered to vote, an increase of 10.1 million that sets the stage for a likely large turnout on Election Day, a non-partisan study reported Sunday.

American University's Center for the Study of the American Electorate estimated 73.5% of citizens 18 or older have registered, compared with the previous high of 72.1% set in 1964.

Curtis Gans, director of the center, said that the registration gains "could lead to a turnout of as many as 135 million" voters or about 65% of eligible citizens. That would be the highest since 67% of citizens 18 and over voted in 1960, he said.

Democrats gained an estimated 2.9 million new voters, while Republican registration declined by about 1.5 million, the report said. The study estimated those figures based on registration in 19 of the 28 states and the District of Columbia that register voters by party.

The report said the GOP decline was small but significant "in this year of intense citizen interest in the election."

Democratic registration increased the most in Nevada, Pennsylvania and Colorado, all battleground states, and Arizona, a late-emerging battleground. Republican registration declined in Colorado, Florida and Pennsylvania but increased in Nevada, the report said.

Signs of strong voter interest have been seen in early voting in some of the potential swing states where both candidates have focused attention.

In North Carolina, nearly 2.6 million people — more than 40% of registered voters — have already cast a ballot. That is more than double the 1.1 million early voters in 2004. State Board of Elections figures show that 52% of those who voted are registered Democrats, and 30% are registered Republicans. Democrats make up about half of all registered voters in North Carolina, which last voted for a Democratic president in 1976.

Early voting has required patience as lines were long in many cases. In North Carolina, elections officials permitted counties to extend voting hours by four hours on Saturday.