Last chance to register to vote

With Monday's voter registration deadline looming, residents have been keeping supervisors of elections in Okaloosa, Walton and Santa Rosa counties on their toes.

"It's just the peak we always get during presidential years. That's when there's the highest turnout and interest," said Bobby Beasley, Walton County's supervisor of elections. "We're definitely having an increase in registration and we're expecting a big turnout."

One reason elections officials are receiving more registrations simply is because the counties' populations have grown since the last presidential election in 2004. For example, the population in Walton County has increased from 50,500 in 2004 to a little more than 58,000 now, according to figures from Beasley. However, that number includes people who are not ineligible to vote either because of they are too young or are convicted felons who have not have their rights restored.

Seventy-three percent of registered voters cast ballots in November 2004, he said. This year, about 62 percent of Walton's residents are registered to vote.

"Definitely, we're seeing a jump," agreed Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections Pat Hollarn. "We're coming to work at 5 or 5:30 in the morning and working until 11 o'clock at night."

Hollarn said 79 percent of the county's registered voters cast ballots in 2004. This year, Okaloosa has about 126,500 registered voters.
In Santa Rosa County, about 70 percent of registered voters cast ballots in November 2004, according to figures from Supervisor of Elections Ann Bodenstein. Her figures show that about 74 percent of the county's residents are registered to vote this year.

Volunteers for the Democratic and Republican parties have been trying to register as many people as they can before the elections offices close their books Monday. For example, Walton County Democrats have spent this weekend visiting restaurants in South Walton and handing out registration forms to restaurant staffers as part of its "Movable Feast" drive.

Republicans held a pep rally for GOP candidates Saturday at their Walton County headquarters. Volunteers there staffed a voter-registration table and handed out T-shirts to anyone who registered to vote.

LOCAL ELECTIONS OFFICES:

Okaloosa County
Main Office: 302 Wilson St N., Suite 102, Crestview. Office open Monday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. 689-5600.
Branch Office: 1804 Lewis Turner Blvd., Suite 404, Fort Walton Beach. Office open Monday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. 651-7272.

Walton County
Main Office: 571 U.S. Hwy. 90 E., DeFuniak Springs. Office open Monday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. 892-8112.
Satellite Office: 31 Coastal Centre Blvd., Suite 300, Santa Rosa Beach. Office open Monday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. 622-0744.

Santa Rosa County
Main Office: 6495 Caroline St., Suite F, Milton. Office open Monday 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. 983-1900.