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DALLAS—Voter registration among Dallas County residents with Spanish surnames climbed in the first four months of 2008, records show.

More than 7,500 residents with Hispanic last names registered to vote during that time, said Dallas County elections administrator Bruce Sherbet.

At the current pace, newly-registered Spanish-surnamed voters could easily surpass the 8,000 voters with Hispanic last names who registered in all of 2007.

Voter rolls are expected to soar through the Oct. 6, the cutoff for registering to vote in the November elections, Sherbet said.

A presidential election year and “the dynamic candidates that we have” have boosted voter registration. Concerns about illegal immigration, the economy and the Iraq war also contributed, Sherbet said.