Number of ‘no party preference’ voters climbs again

The ranks of voters without political party affiliations continued to grow in California, according to data released Tuesday by Secretary of State Debra Bowen.

Information collected 60 days before the Nov. 4 election showed 23.1% of the state’s more than 17.6 million registered voters declined to align themselves with a party, up from 21.2% shortly before the June 3 primary.

Republican Party registration continued to decline slightly, down to 28.23% from last spring’s 28.4%. Democratic Party registration, which also has been dropping but less dramatically than for Republicans, held roughly steady at 43.43%.

More than 4 million voters, an all-time high, listed themselves as “no party preference” on their registration forms.

The full 60-Day Report of Registration is available on the secretary of state’s website, www.sos.ca.gov.

Bowen noted the report’s release coincides with California Voter Registration Week and said now is “a perfect time to register to vote and encourage eligible friends and family to do it too.”

“Californians will choose their leaders and weigh in on important public policy decisions in just six weeks.”

Eligible residents can sign up online at RegisterToVote.ca.gov or fill out paper registration forms at many post offices, public libraries, Department of Motor Vehicles offices and several other government offices.

Also Tuesday, the California Democratic Party unveiled its own online voter registration portal: www.cadem.org/RegisterToVote. Anyone with an Internet connection can sign on and link to the secretary of state’s voter registration form, which is provided in 10 languages.

The California Republican Party’s website also has a link to the Secretary of State’s voter registration page, which can be reached through cagop.org/join us

The last day to register to vote in the upcoming general election is Oct. 20.

Follow @jeanmerl for the latest in Southern California politics news.