V.O.Key Predicts Large Vote Gives Neither Side Edge

V. O. Key, professor of Government, said last night he does not think this year's record-breaking registration figures will be to either party's advantage in the coming election.

Fifteen major cities throughout the nation have reported more people ready to cast ballots than ever before. Now state-wide marks have been set in Wisconsin and New Jersey.

Key, who is a leading University authority on American political parties, admits that the big registration means a big vote, but disagrees with observers who think a big urban registration means a larger Democratic vote in November.

"The guy who gets the most votes gets the advantage," Key said, "and you can't tell who that is until after the election."

Key believes the growth in the American population, rather than interest in any one party, has upped registration. With millions more citizens, we were bound to get new voters, he said, but cautioned that "a comparison of caucus figures is necessary to get the real impact of the population increase."

Nothing that voting in the Truman-Dewey election was unusually low, Key said that "this year's increase brings the figures up closer to a normal registration."

Massachusetts has reported an increase of over 100,000 permanent voters on its rolls this year. Major cities of upstate New York have had similar increases in Rochester, New York, for example the first day's registration was fifty per cent over the 1948 totals.

As usual national leaders of both parties have interpreted the heavy turnout as indication of a sure victory for their candidates.