Tuesday is last day to register to vote in many Southern states

The 2018 elections are just a month away, and in many Southern states, the last day to register to vote is Tuesday, Oct. 9.

Here are the states with an Oct. 9 registration deadline, with details about how to register:

ARKANSAS: The deadline to register in person or by mail is Oct. 9. Online registration is not available. State website here.

FLORIDA: The deadline to register in person, by mail or online is Oct. 9. State website here.

GEORGIA: The deadline to register in person, by mail or online is Oct. 9. State website here.

KENTUCKY: The deadline to register in person, by mail or online is Oct. 9. State website here.

LOUISIANA: The deadline to register in person or by mail is Oct. 9. Residents can register online until Oct. 16. State website here.

MISSISSIPPI: The deadline to register by mail is Oct. 9. Online registration is not available. State website here.

TENNESSEE: The deadline to register in person, by mail or online is Oct. 9. State website here.

TEXAS: The deadine to register in person or by mail is Oct. 9. State website here.

Driven by polarization around President Trump, the 2018 elections will see dozens of battleground races across the South. The Cook Political Report, for example, projects that four U.S. Senate races in the South, 21 U.S. House contests, and elections for governor in Florida and Georgia are all close and could be decided by razor-thin margins.

While polls over the summer had shown Democrats to be highly motivated for the 2018 mid-term elections and preparing for a major "blue wave" of Democratic voters, more recent surveys suggest that Republican voters are now equally interested in the November contests, almost erasing the Democrats' enthusiasm advantage.

For the remaining Southern states, registration deadlines are coming soon:

ALABAMA: The deadline to register in person, online or by mail is Oct. 22. State website here.

NORTH CAROLINA: The deadline to register in person or by mail is Oct 12. The deadline has been extended to Oct. 15 for 28 counties that were affected by Hurricane Florence. During the early voting period from Oct. 17 to Nov. 3, residents can register and vote simultaneously at "one stop" early voting sites. Online registration is not available. State website here.

SOUTH CAROLINA: The deadline to register in person, by mail or online is Oct. 17. The deadline was extended 10 days from Oct. 7 because of Hurricane Florence. State website here.

VIRGINIA: The deadline to register in person, online or by mail is Oct. 15. State website here.

WEST VIRGINIA: The deadline to register in person, online or by mail is Oct. 16. State website here.