First time voter registration in Georgia increases for blacks but decreases for whites

For the first time in history, an African-American has a good shot at becoming president.

And with voter registration ending today, statistics from the Georgia secretary of state's office show that the number of blacks registering for the first time has increased significantly over 2004.

The number of black men registering for the first time in Georgia increased by 33 percent from 2004.

The number of black women registering increased by 22 percent.

Charles Bullock, a political science professor at the University of Georgia, says that thanks, in part, to a push by campaign of the Democratic nominee, Barack Obama, to register black voters.

"When you consider that probably 95 percent or so of African-Americans who turn out to vote in November will vote for Obama, it gives you an awfully strong incentive to try to maximize the number of registrants," says Bullock.

But the number of white voters registering in Georgia for the first time decreased, in spite of major election issues, such as the economic crisis this election year.

The number of white men registering for the first time decreased by seven percent.

And as for white women, even the selection of Sarah Palin to run for vice president on the Republican ticket didn't help.

The number of white women registering for the first time decreased by 11 percent in Georgia.

The voter registration numbers are current as of October 1.