Arkansas has its highest recorded number of registered eligible voters in history -- greater than 1.8 million -- and election officials across the state attribute the growth to a combination of population changes and voter enthusiasm.
The voter increase hasn't been gradual; there has been a spike since the March 3 primary election.
Since the primary, an additional 87,771 people have registered in the state ahead of Tuesday's general election, according to the secretary of state office. That translates to an increase of 5% in fewer than eight months.
"Presidential years always see much higher turnout than off-year elections and we are seeing many more people getting interested and involved in the process," said Chris Powell, a spokesman for the secretary of state's office.
"This will be a very consequential election and people should want to have their say in a process that affects their lives and businesses," he said.
In Northwest Arkansas, voter registration has increased in tandem with the housing boom. Benton County, for instance, has seen 17.9% growth in registered voters compared with 2016. Meanwhile, Washington County has jumped by 9%, according to state figures.
"Our housing, especially in Bentonville, has just boomed," said Dana Caler, the elections administrator and voter supervisor in Benton County.
"We get a lot of transfers coming in from other [Arkansas] counties, but the out-of-state new registrations have been crazy this year," she said.
Pulaski County, which has the highest population and voter eligibility in the state, has seen a 5.8% increase in registrations since 2016, according to state statistics.
County Clerk Terri Hollingsworth said the presidential race between Donald Trump and Joe Biden is a major component for the current climate of election enthusiasm.
"What people are seeing nationally has led to them wanting to be involved in the process," she said. "They want to participate in this democracy."
Hollingsworth also referred to the hotly contested 2nd Congressional District race between Republican incumbent French Hill and challenger Joyce Elliott. The district covers an area that includes Pulaski, Van Buren, Conway, Perry, Faulkner, White and Saline counties and is the highest-profile congressional race in the state this cycle.
"Yeah, I think that race is driving people [to the polls] as well," Hollingsworth said. "There are just a lot of people who want to be involved and are making sure their voices are heard."
A few smaller counties have seen a decrease in the number of registered voters since 2016. In the case of Hempstead County, older residents are retiring elsewhere and young adults are moving to places with more career opportunities, County Clerk Karen Smith said.
Hempstead saw a 13% decrease in voter registration during the past four years, according to the state.
Despite the decrease, the actual number of Hempstead County voters participating in this year's presidential election is still expected to be greater than the last one, Smith said.
"We've actually had 34% of our registered voters come in and vote early, which is quite a bit," Smith said Friday. "Last time, there were only 10% who voted early."
Smith took office in 2017, but has worked in county government since 2013. This election has generated the most enthusiasm she has seen during early voting.
"I've seen early voting traffic in previous years [at the courthouse], but I've never seen it like this," she said. "I mean, we're averaging 300 people a day."
Absentee ballots also have been coming in at a higher rate statewide.
As of Thursday, in Pulaski County, roughly 22,000 of the 27,000 mail-in ballots that were sent out were returned, Hollingsworth said.
[RELATED: Full coverage of elections in Arkansas » arkansasonline.com/elections/]
Smaller counties are seeing the same trend.
Fulton County Clerk Vicki Bishop said her office mailed out 156 absentee ballots in 2016. This year, her office mailed out 370.
A total of 4,833 people voted in Fulton County in 2016. As of Thursday, 2,070 had already voted and there were still a few days of early voting and Election Day remaining.
Bishop said the presidential election -- against the backdrop of the pandemic -- is driving an unprecedented number of people to vote.
"We're in a crisis right now and that is why so many people are getting out to vote and getting involved," she said.
The number of registered voters in Fulton this year compared with 2016 is 11.3% higher, according to state statistics.
In Hempstead County recently, one 77-year-old man went to the courthouse to register to vote for the first time, Smith said. He didn't indicate what motivated him to register, but he admitted to the reason he waited so long.
"He didn't want to be selected for jury duty," Smith said. "That's the reason he gave us."