Voter registration in California is up, but that doesn’t necessarily mean a boost in registration for the state’s political parties because the biggest boost is in voters registering with no party preference.

Registration for the Republican Party is down to just over 30 percent of the California electorate.

According to a report by Secretary of State Debra Bowen, the total voter registration in the state increased from about 16 million to more than 17 million. The Republican Party’s numbers decreased from 32.8 percent four years ago to 30.3 percent on April 6, while Democratic registration stayed the same in those four years, at 43.5 percent.

“By registering to vote, more than 17 million Californians have taken the first step in deciding the fate of ballot propositions and choosing which candidates for president, U.S. Congress, state legislature and more will square off in November,” Bowen said.

With the numbers for the Democratic Party staying the same, those leaving the Republican Party are clearly not just switching sides.

The percentage of voters who have no party preference increased from 19.3 percent to 21.3 percent in the last four years. A boost in non-partisan popularity has already been seen on the local level with support for Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher improving after he dropped his Republican Party affiliation. Congressional candidate Anthony Adams is another Republican who recently became an independent.

Former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently wrote an editorial in the LA Times responding to the loss of Fletcher and attempting to rally attention back to the Republican Party.

“It's time to stop thinking of the Republican Party as an exclusive club where your ideological card is checked at the door, and start thinking about how we can attract more solution-based leaders like Nathan Fletcher and Anthony Adams,” Schwarzenegger wrote.

The last day to register for the June 5 primary is May 21 and the last day to vote by mail is May 29.

              

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