Image by Flickr user SanFranAnnieImage by 20081009vote.jpg

Preliminary counts by the state election commission show an increase of some 240,000 registered voters during 2008, a number 40,000 more than the 2004 increase.

With minorities and young voters registering at the fastest rates, it does stand to impact our state's elections next month. There is still little chance that South Carolina could go Democrat in November: Bush won our state in 2004 by 276,275 votes, and McCain vs. Obama in S.C. has been polling roughly the same as the outcome in 2004.

But, where this does get interesting is that though the a small 3 or 4 percentage point shift towards the Democrat side may be enough to tip the scale on many other state and local elections.

So, Republican or Democrat: Your vote still matters in South Carolina.