President Obama and Mitt Romney are paying particular attention to Nevada this election season, each trying to sway swing state voters in their favor. But before they can have an impact at the polls, Nevada voters have to be registered. Registering more than 600,000 eligible yet unregistered Nevadans has been the goal of the state’s multimedia online voter registration campaign. 

The campaign included television and radio advertisements as well as tours of schools and businesses by Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller. 

“My office is making it easier than ever for eligible voters in Nevada to register to vote before October 6,” Miller said in a press release. “Online voter registration is convenient, easy and secure.”

Before September, online voter registration had a limited impact. The option of registering online was only available to residents of Clark County. Since the campaign launched and all 17 counties are eligible, online registration has doubled. 

The state is also looking to extend the opportunity for registration to residents who do not have consistent access to a computer or the Internet. Miller's office is partnering with local businesses and libraries to offer online voter registration.

An increased presence at the polls could bode well for Obama. In 2008, he won Nevada by more than 12 percentage points. However, the upcoming election appears to be closer than the last, and Nevada voters are struggling with one of the highest unemployment rates in the country as well as a housing market that was hit harder than most. 

It remains to be seen if Obama will retain his lead in the Silver State. A Rasmussen poll dated Sept. 20 showed the incumbent leading Romney 47 percent to 45 percent but within the margin of error. 

Still, a rise in registered voters equates to a higher turnout on Election Day.

It seems that the greatest obstacle to getting people to vote is registering them. There is a high correlation among the number of registered voters to the number of actual voters. The U.S. Census Bureau reported that 90 percent of registered voters cast their ballots in the 2008 presidential election. 

Since online voter registration began in Nevada, the secretary of state’s office reported nearly 15,000 new registrations.

 

Read more of Neon Tommy's coverage on the 2012 election here.

Reach Staff Reporter Jillian Olivas here.