2008-10-02 VOTERS REGISTER IN DROVES AT LAFAYETTE SQUARE MALL By Heather Gillers / Indianapolis Star Charlene Guzman was old enough to vote in the last presidential election. But this is the first one that will bring her to the polls. Guzman, 24, Indianapolis, was one of more than 1,500 people who took part in a voter registration drive at Lafayette Square Mall on Tuesday and is part of a surge in new voters in Indiana this year. About 636,000 Hoosiers have registered to vote or updated their registrations so far this year, compared with 565,400 during 2004, the last presidential election year, said Jim Gavin, a spokesman for Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita. In Marion County this year, about 104,000 people have updated their registrations or registered to vote for the first time. "There have been more (voter registration) efforts this year than I've ever seen," said Amos Brown, director of research for Radio One, which owns the four Indianapolis stations hosting the registration drive as part of a national effort. "And I've been here going on 35 years." Brown, known as the host of "Afternoons with Amos" on WTLC-AM (1310), cited the tight presidential race in Indiana -- along with Republican Greg Ballard's surprise mayoral win over incumbent Democrat Bart Peterson last year -- as factors that helped convince residents their votes can make a difference. The drive started at 6 a.m., and by 5 p.m. more than 800 people had registere ...
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