Voter Registration Increases 35% In Virginia, Across Nation

By Rosaland Tyler
Associate Editor
New Journal and Guide

After the Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris announced her candidacy on July 21, voter registration not only increased by 35 percent in the state of Virginia, it also increased in Hampton Roads and across the nation.

Virginia Department of Elections records show that on Monday and Tuesday (7/22 and 7/23), the first two full days of Harris’ campaign, 4,899 Virginians registered to vote, which represented a 38.5 percent increase over the same time the week before.

Meanwhile, in Portsmouth, Director of Elections Alexandra Abell said that since the June 18 election, 200 more people have registered. Nationwide, Vote.org, a non-profit group that works to increase voter turnout, reported a 700 percent increase in the number of people registering to vote nationwide.

Political analyst Rich Meagher said, “These could be Democrats fired up about Kamala Harris’ candidacy and joining in to vote for their chosen candidates.

It also could be Republicans garnered by Kamala Harris and what is happening in the Democratic party.”

Meagher added, “New registrations reflect either people who felt left out of the process and are now either excited to vote for or against Harris or they are younger voters who maybe were sitting out or didn’t see a reason to join in because Joe Biden was running and now they are excited because there of this new person, this new face in the race.”

Harris announced her candidacy on July 21, 2024, after President Joe Biden withdrew his bid for reelection and endorsed her earlier the same day. According to news reports, Harris easily secured the support of enough delegates to win the nomination. 

The New York Times noted in a July 26 report, “Harris has drawn support from all corners of her party, including former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, top congressional and party leaders and every Democratic governor in the country. The Associated Press said late Monday that Ms. Harris had secured the backing of more than the 1,976 delegates needed to capture the nomination in the first round of voting.”