Those who want to make a difference for the first time this Election Day have just a couple of weeks left to register.

In order to pull the lever in the Nov. 8 general election, voters must register by Oct. 11.

Although the turnout has not been as overwhelming as it was during the Bush/Kerry contest of 2004, Mary Wipert, Lawrence County Board of Elections director, said it has been very respectable.

"We've registered a lot of people. It's not anything compared to last year's presidential election, but it's been pretty good registration," Wipert said.

That is the rule in election turn out, generally: The bigger the names on the ticket, the longer the lines at the polls, but there are a few other factors to consider.

"It just depends if there's highly contested races. This year it was probably heavy because we have the judge's seat contested, we have township trustees where there are five or six people running for a particular position," Wipert said. "It will also vary from area to area."

Wipert said that the registration is quick and particularly painless if voters register at the Board of Elections, where all the requisite forms are filled out by election officials who require only a signature in their effort to make the voting process as easy as possible.

"It's very important that people vote. Everyone should take part in deciding who's going to represent them," Wipert said.

Lawrence County residents may also register at the county's Dept. of Job and Family Services, The WIC Offices, the Board of MR/DD, all public libraries, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

The Board of Elections is located on the first floor of the Lawrence County Courthouse. They are open 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Registrants must supply the last four digits of their Social Security number, or their driver's license number.

Additional information is available by calling (740) 532-0444.