New voter registration figures show the number of Californians identifying as “no party preference” has nearly caught up with registered Republicans. GOP registration as of last month stood at 25.4 percent – just four-tenths of a point higher than “no party preference.”
Statewide, Democrats continue to top the registration chart at just under 45 percent.
The data released Friday by the Secretary of State’s office show more than 75 percent of eligible Californians are registered to vote.
On the Central Coast, San Luis Obispo County is nearly split 50-50 now between registered Democrats and Republicans. Of the roughly 210,000 eligible voters, 78 percent are registered. 35 percent are Democrat and 37 percent Republican. Three percent of San Luis Obispo County voters identify as independent.
46,000 San Luis Obispo County residents who are eligible, aren't registered to vote.
To put those numbers in perspective, in January of 2006, of the 152,968 registered voters in San Luis Obispo County, Democrats comprised 35 percent, while voters registered as Republican numbered 43 percent. 34,650 eligible voters weren't registered to vote at all.
As of last month in Santa Barbara County, 43 percent of registered voters are Democrat and 27 percent Republican. A quarter of Santa Barbara County voters have no party preference.
And in Monterey County, three-quarters of eligible voters are registered. There are over twice as many registered Democrats than Republicans in Monterey County. 24 percent of voters have no party preference.
There are 65,000 Monterey County residents eligible to vote but not registered to do so.