Va. Orders 200,000 Additional Voter Registration Forms

But Shrager said a "photocopied form doesn't do the trick" because the original forms come with self-addressed envelopes for the state elections board.

"Sometimes people say, 'I would really rather mail it myself,' " Shrager said. "It shouldn't be so difficult to get voter registration forms."

Rokey W. Suleman, Fairfax County's registrar, said that his office has not experienced a shortage but that it will give an individual or organization only 100 forms at a time.

"As many as you need, we will give them to you, but we are not going to give you a cartload of forms at one time," said Suleman. "But if they keep registering people, we will keep handing them out."

Suleman and other registrars are getting ready for a sharp increase in activity between now and the deadline. Last week, Arlington processed 1,200 registration forms, Patterson said. Suleman said Fairfax has processed nearly 4,000 voter applications since Sept. 1.

But much of the activity, as well as the demand for voter registration forms, is coming from people updating their address or just unsure if they are registered.

"There is just a lot of interest," said J. Kirk Showalter, Richmond's registrar. "A lot of the forms we get are for people who are already registered, and there has been no change in information. Sometimes they forget they are registered. Sometimes they just want to make sure."

Rodrigues said she would rather have people register twice than miss the deadline and experience problems on Election Day.

"I will print as many applications as we need to make sure Virginians update their voter registration and make sure it is accurate," Rodrigues said. "It is imperative."