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CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A record 1.21 million West Virginians are registered to vote in this year's general election - better than eight out of 10 of those who are old enough.

The figure reflects a robust 85 percent of the state's estimated voting-age population, and Secretary of State Betty Ireland now expects a solid turnout by Nov. 4.

Besides voting on Election Day, those registered can cast in-person early ballots until Nov. 1. Early voting began Oct. 15.

"Trends tell me we're going to have higher than average turnout," Ireland said Tuesday. "I have every reason to be optimistic that we'll have 70 percent turnout."

Ireland noted that turnout during the May primary topped that of the 2004 primary. That year's general election, the last with the presidency on the ballot, saw nearly 66 percent turnout.

The record exceeds West Virginia's last high of 1.17 million in 1952, when the state's population peaked at just over 2 million. The latest figures estimate there are now 1.8 million Mountain State residents.

Democrats remain the dominant voting force in West Virginia, adding 26,416 to their ranks since the 2006 general election to total 675,305. Republicans gained 10,467 voters during that time, and now number 353,437.

The GOP outnumbers Democrats in eight of the state's 55 counties, down one from the primary. Berkeley County had 297 more Republicans than Democrats in May, but the latter party has since eclipsed them by 257 voters.

But 183,375 "other" voters - third-party, independent and unaffiliated - now account for more than 15 percent of those registered. They saw the biggest increase since November 2006, swelling by 37,863 voters.

Click here for more political coverage

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A record 1.21 million West Virginians are registered to vote in this year's general election - better than eight out of 10 of those who are old enough.

The figure reflects a robust 85 percent of the state's estimated voting-age population, and Secretary of State Betty Ireland now expects a solid turnout by Nov. 4.

Besides voting on Election Day, those registered can cast in-person early ballots until Nov. 1. Early voting began Oct. 15.

"Trends tell me we're going to have higher than average turnout," Ireland said Tuesday. "I have every reason to be optimistic that we'll have 70 percent turnout."

Ireland noted that turnout during the May primary topped that of the 2004 primary. That year's general election, the last with the presidency on the ballot, saw nearly 66 percent turnout.

The record exceeds West Virginia's last high of 1.17 million in 1952, when the state's population peaked at just over 2 million. The latest figures estimate there are now 1.8 million Mountain State residents.

Democrats remain the dominant voting force in West Virginia, adding 26,416 to their ranks since the 2006 general election to total 675,305. Republicans gained 10,467 voters during that time, and now number 353,437.

The GOP outnumbers Democrats in eight of the state's 55 counties, down one from the primary. Berkeley County had 297 more Republicans than Democrats in May, but the latter party has since eclipsed them by 257 voters.

But 183,375 "other" voters - third-party, independent and unaffiliated - now account for more than 15 percent of those registered. They saw the biggest increase since November 2006, swelling by 37,863 voters.

And while Democrats have outgained Republicans since 2006, their ranks have actually dropped by 5,159 since the 2004 presidential race saw West Virginia as a major battleground. Republicans are up from that year, by 4,244. Other voters increased by 44,338 during the four-year interlude.

As a result, Democrats make up less than 56 percent of all voters. They were at 57 percent in 2006, and had represented two-thirds of voters as recently as 1990. Republicans lost a percentage point off their share, dropping to 29 percent.

Ireland credits systematic visits to high schools, college campuses and senior centers by her and her staff for the bolstered voter rolls.

"We now have some high schools with 100 percent registration," she said. "Getting them to vote is another issue."

Ireland has also reached out to returning military veterans, and to active duty military personnel to ensure they can vote from abroad. Her office has also sent more than 50,000 people invitations to register since March.

The presidential race is also a likely factor, though neither campaign has devoted the staff and resources in West Virginia seen in such battleground states as neighboring Ohio and Pennsylvania. When West Virginia was in play in 2004, hosting dozens of visits from the candidates, registration jumped by 65,000 between the primary and general elections.

West Virginia's influx of new voters this year - 28,622 since the primary and 74,746 since the last general election - is eclipsed by growing rolls reported by other states. Nationally, there are more than 9 million new voters, and in the last six months registration has favored Democrats by a margin of nearly 4-to-1.

In the eight battleground states where voters register by party, an Associated Press analysis showed last week, Democrats have registered more than 1 million voters in the past four years - while the GOP has lost roughly 125,000.

Ireland earlier reported the discovery of several hundred bogus voter registrations, mostly in Kanawha County. Her office suspects local residents hired by third parties to register new voters. Ireland said Tuesday that the FBI and U.S. postal inspectors continue to investigate, but she does not believe the fraud artificially inflated the registration total or will lead to actual voting fraud.

"These are so outrageously bogus, they do not represent actual people," she said.