The 2016 presidential election will be a historic one. After the voter registration deadline Tuesday, numbers are already significantly up from previous elections.
Both Benton and Washington County have seen over a 20% increase in voter registration, which means thousands more voters will be making their voices heard in November.
Two weeks leading up to the registration deadline in 2012, Washington County saw 1600 new registered voters. This year, in that same time frame, over 2800 people registered.
In Benton County, almost 2,000 new voters registered. This is compared to a little over 500 in 2012.
Becky Lewallen, Washington County Clerk, told Fox 24 she believes Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are generating a lot of interest in this year’s election.
Lewallen also said she thinks the issues on the ballot could also lead to the higher numbers. These issues include the Casino Amendment and Medical Marijuana Amendment and Act.
