US states race to register voters

Monday was the deadline for voter registration in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Florida, and extra staff have been used to process applications.

Twelve other states also have a deadline on Monday. Others fall closer to election day itself.

The two candidates are running neck and neck and urging supporters to turn out.

In the largest marginal state, Florida, registration is said to be up 20 percent.

In Ohio - which polls suggest is one of the closest states - nearly 250,000 people have signed up.

The BBC's Daniela Relph in Washington says that although registration campaigns generally begin a few months before an election, this time round they were up and running more than a year ago.

Independent groups have run high-profile projects stressing the importance of registering.

Both the Republican and Democratic Parties have organised vote drives in areas where they expect most support.

However, our correspondent adds, election history shows that high registration does not always translate into high turnout.