Obama, Clinton Supporters Work Locally for Candidates

Raleigh, N.C. — North Carolina’s primary is just over a month away and supporters for democratic presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton are scrambling to help their candidate win the state.

Obama supporters blanketed the state on Saturday in a push to register voters.

“The more people who can vote, the better. Just getting involved in democracy and voicing your opinion for what you want to see for this community,” said Nicole Stewart who helped push voter registration in downtown Raleigh.

Stewart was one of 200 Obama volunteers who hit up to 40 areas in Wake County.

Fellow-Obama supporter Alicia Lockard said she would be taking voter registration forms around her Wake Forest neighborhood.

“Whether it’s simply to vote or get out and urge other people to vote, do your part and make change happen,” Lockard said.

Yard signs were going fast at Clinton’s campaign headquarters in Raleigh.

Clinton Campaign Field Director David Jacobson said their strategy is to be hands-on.

“People working the phones, going door-to-door, writing letters to the editor,” he said. “Just really getting people involved as much as we can.”

Current polls show Obama with a double-digit lead over Clinton in North Carolina.

“People are really excited and I think we’re going to see things turnaround,” Jacobson said.

The close race between candidates has sparked a surge in new voters across the state.

There are more than 100,000 new voters who registered in the first two months of this year, compared to just 35,000 for the same time frame four years ago.

So far, North Carolina has a total of 5.6 million voters registered.

People have until Friday to register to vote for the primary. One-stop voting begins April 17.