JUSTIN COOK The Roanoke Times

Alyse Cruickshank (center) registers Josh Minnit (left) and Christian Roa to vote at Virginia Tech.

Voter registration efforts at Virginia Tech are likely to add hundreds of new students to the rolls, but the county's fractured precinct structure on the campus could pose issues for county and campaign officials on Election Day.

Montgomery County Registrar Randy Wertz said about half of the new registrations he's processed will be assigned to the county's E-1 precinct -- St. Michael's Lutheran Church on Merrimac Road -- which covers a large swath of students.

With more than 3,600 active voters in the area, "that's our largest precinct already," Wertz said. Its location, about four miles from the campus and without access to public transportation, could pose problems as well.

The state requires registrars to split precincts with more than 5,000 voters to cut down on long lines, but even if E-1 reaches that number, it will be too late to split because Wertz would have to obtain Justice Department approval first, he said.

Across the county, Wertz said he's hiring extra elections officials to run three lines instead of two at polling places, which should help cut down on long lines. But in a precinct as large as E-1, voters will still likely encounter a wait.

Having students spread across several precincts could also present a logistical problem for campaign officials of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, who said they are planning a huge get-out-the-vote effort for Election Day. The campaign of the Republican candidate, Sen. John McCain, is also eyeing Blacksburg, according to Gail Gitcho, a Virginia-based McCain spokeswoman.

"There will be very strong efforts in Blacksburg," she said, but did not elaborate.

Richmond-based Obama spokesman Kevin Griffis said the campaign is keeping track of student voters and will contact them before the election to ensure they know where their polling places are located. He added that the campaign will provide transportation to locations difficult for voters to access.

"Beyond the student population, there are communities across the commonwealth where transportation is an issue," Griffis said. "We're going to make sure if you're registered to vote and you're going to vote for Barack Obama, we'll make sure you can get to the polls."

Asked whether the McCain campaign will provide transportation to the polls, Gitcho said, "I can't confirm any transportation at this point." Wertz said other groups that are planning to provide transportation can also contact his office with their plans and he will work with them.

He added that anyone eligible for absentee balloting should apply, but said Virginia voting requirements can sometimes make that difficult for students.