The voter registration deadline on Tuesday marks an important turning point for the Texas elections. According to the Texas secretary of state, about 4.5 million Texas Republicans voted in the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections. Democrats, though, are not nearly as consistent. The number of Texans registered to vote in presidential elections in 2008 increased to 12.7 million and by July 2012, about 13.2 million people had registered to vote in this year's primary runoffs. Both Republicans and Democrats have been working hard to sign up as many supporters as they can, and the applications are pouring in. Registering to vote, though, does not necessarily mean that a person will cast a ballot. In the last two presidential elections, only 58 percent of those who registered followed through. That's why party organizers will hound those whom they register with postcards, phone calls and door knocks, to make sure their supporters vote. This year's general election will likely see more Texans vote than ever before, but the most disturbing statistic remains the percentage of Texans who don't vote, about 54 percent. Early voting begins Oct. 22.