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ALBANY --
Residents packed the Dougherty County Voter Registration Office on Tuesday, the last day to register – and it seems like this year’s numbers could top the registered voters in 2008.

52,641 residents were registered in November of 2008 – not including inactive voters – and by October of this year there were already 52,331 people eligible to take their place at the polls. Election supervisor Ginger Nickerson says the past few days have been extremely busy as the deadline approached.

However, years passed have shown that just because people are registered doesn’t mean they’ll come out on election day.

Nickerson says she can’t explain why there is a lack of turnout during elections but the public has a few ideas of why this may be.

A lack of interest and knowledge are just a few answers of why people shy away from actually voting.

Others think people are interested but don’t like the options. Jeffery Beard says he believes a lot of people feel like they’re choosing the lesser of two evils and don’t turn out because they don’t want to put either person in office.

Nickerson says this year may be different, however. She says past numbers have shown there is a big increase in voter turnout when there is a presidential election – and voters like Tamara George say that’s true.

George showed up to the office on Tuesday just to make sure she is eligible to vote in the presidential election.

After the voter registration office closes on Tuesday, they will work to register the final people before the deadline on Wednesday.