The November election may be shaping up to be a big winner for Republicans, whether it’s in Congress or at the gubernatorial level. But the long-term picture continues to appear grim for both major political parties.

 

Allegiance has been slipping in terms of party registration for more than three decades, and the most recent numbers show Americans by the hundreds of thousands ditching their Republican or Democratic affiliation. Since November 2008, Democrats have lost 927,332 registrants and Republicans 587,698. As percentages go, Democratic registration dipped 2.1% and Republican 1.9% over the past two years.

 

Currently, 43.6% of voters nationwide are registered as Democrats and 30.4% as Republicans, while the remaining 26% are registered either as independents or with third parties.

 

There are still some bright spots for party leaders to enjoy. Nevada and Iowa are two states trending more “red” than “blue” respectively, based on voter registration, while Connecticut and Delaware are still adding to the Democratic ranks and new Republicans are signing up in significant numbers in Wyoming.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

 

Partisan Voter Registration Totals (by Michael P. McDonald, Huffington Post-Pollster)