Check under rocks! Look behind the sofa! What's that mysterious lump in the guest bed? It could very well be...a new voter! According to the New York Times, new voter registrations in Democratic areas of swing states have far exceeded those in Republican areas.

A Big Increase of New Voters in Swing States

Glancing at the article while standing in line at the Adams Morgan Safeway in DC, my excitement prompted a spontaneous "Look at this! Look at all these new voter registrations! Isn't it wonderful news?" The other people in line seemed vaguely taken aback, but happy to hear the news (with the latest polls showing DC at 78% for Kerry, I figured I had a good shot at finding sympathetic listeners).

The question, of course, is whether these folks will actually show up at the polls. As the Times notes, "Studies have shown that calling voters and showing up at their houses before and on Election Day substantially increases turnout." Although I'm sure that sentence provoked a sarcastic "No, REALLY?" from anyone who has ever worked on or vaguely thought about a campaign, they do have a point. These people need to be dragged. We have a built-in advantage because Democrats tend to live in cities, and you can knock on a lot more doors in an hour when they're ten feet rather than ten miles apart. We can't afford to lose this edge. Once you've checked under your bed for new voters (some of them are very small and good at hiding, so be thorough), then get in the car, drive to the airport, and buy a ticket for the next flight to Wisconsin.