More Kane, Cook voters register in '08

Other counties also seeing increases

The Founding Fathers would be proud.

So far this year, many more residents are signing up to vote than in 2004, the last presidential contest, according to official records.

Though Kane County cannot boast the largest increase, about 1,220 more people have registered to vote in the first half of 2008 than in the first half of 2004, nearly a 15 percent increase.

Kane County Clerk Jack Cunningham said he expects those numbers to skyrocket in the months leading up to November.

"I think there's been more interest in this election than before, and we had a special election" in March, which pushed more people to register, Cunningham said in a telephone interview.

"I would expect to 10,000 to 15,000 more people to register" before Nov. 4, he said.

It's not just residential growth in the collar counties that's accounting for the largely region-wide trend. Cook County also has seen a dramatic increase, according to Clerk David Orr's office. Voter registration for the first half of 2008 has increased about 18 percent compared with the first half of 2004, a news release stated.

Aurora Election Commission officials said they have no way of providing these records. McHenry County could not provide records dating back to 2004, a spokeswoman said.

The increased number of people heading to the polls should make for extra long lines, so early voting is more important than ever, Cunningham said.

"I'd really like to get 25 to 30 percent of people voting early," he said.

For more information on voter registration, early voting, or how to volunteer as an election judge or foreign language interpreter, contact your local election authority.