Record voter registration season ending

WASHINGTON, Oct. 6 (UPI) -- Democrats may have done well in registering new voters but Republican strategists say they still have to get the new voters to the polls.

Voter rolls in the past year have expanded by about 4 million in a dozen states Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has targeted, The Washington Post reported Monday. In Florida, Democratic registration gains in 2007 are more than double those made by Republicans.

"The machine that has been put in place by the Democrats is effective," Nevada's Republican Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki told the Post. There's a difference between successful registration and a groundswell. It's mechanics versus momentum."

The record-breaking season for voter registration drives ended Monday in nearly half of the nation's states.

Election Center Executive Director Doug Lewis told USA Today he expects an all-time high in voter registration, surpassing the 177 million registered in 2004, describing the situation as a "tsunami of voters."