"Even in San Juan County - the state's largest county in area but with only 14,000 residents, one of the least populated - registration numbers are historically high. In 2000, there were 8,500 registered voters. This year there are 9,125.

Most stunning is the increase in American Indian registration, says Norman Johnson, San Juan County clerk and auditor.

The most stunning increase came in the reservation town of Oljato, accessible only by poorly paved reservation roads. There, registration numbers jumped from 853 to 1,005 since 2000. "We have seen spotty increases all over, but that one was significant," says Johnson."

Get the Story:
Mullen: Navajos may pack the polls (The Salt Lake Tribune 10/28)

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