PHOENIX -- The quarterly numbers are in and Arizona has 3,138,327 registered voters, a decrease of less than 0.87 percent since the last report in October.
According to Secretary of State Ken Bennett, the decrease of 27,231 likely comes from a routine purge of inactive voters from the rolls. The numbers are compiles by county, congressional district and legislative district.
While there was a drop in every party affiliation, the biggest losses came from the Democratic Party.
Arizona, traditionally a predominantly red state, has more than 1.1 million voters who registered Republican. That's down just over 5,000 from the October report.
Nearly 958,000 Arizonans are registered Democrats, down more than 17,000 since October.
More than 1 million Arizona voters registered with independent parties or simply didn't designate an affiliation. That's nearly 3,900 less than in October.
(See chart)
While the GOP and the Democratic Party are the largest and most powerful players on the political scene, there are three other parties with which Arizonans may affiliate themselves.
Slightly fewer than 1 percent of Arizona's registered voters -- nearly 23,000 -- are Libertarian. Nearly 5,000 Arizona voters affiliate themselves with the Green Party, while 111 registered as part of the Americans Elect Party, which was just recognized in Arizona last year.
In order to join the Republican, Democratic Libertarian and Green parties as a recognized political party in Arizona, the Americans Elect Party had to file at least 23,041 valid signatures. The AEP filed petitions with each of Arizona's 15 counties and went to the secretary of state's office with 27,288 valid signatures in July.
"It's important to remember that only those who have registered with a political party will be able to participate in their respective Presidential primary," Bennett explained in a news release. "The Republican and Green Parties are the only groups participating in the Presidential Preference Election this year. Unlike Arizona's state primaries, only registered members of the Republican and Green Party will be able to participate."
That election is Tuesday, Feb 28. Early voting will be Feb. 2. In order to participate, you must be registered with either the Republican Party or the Green Party by midnight on Jan. 30.
Arizona's primary is Aug. 28, with the General Election on Nov. 6.
According to the United States Election Project at George Mason University, slightly more than 4.2 million people were eligible to vote in 2010.
Statistics from U.S. Census Bureau put the total population of Arizona in 2010, including children younger than 18 and those not eligible to vote, at 6,392,017, a nearly 25 percent increase over 2000 numbers.
Republicans -- 1,118,938 (down 5,235)
Democrats -- 957,786 (down 17,106)
Independent/No affiliation -- 1,033,584 (down 3,866)
Libertarians -- 22,912
Green -- 4,996
Americans Elect -- 111
Total -- 3,138,327 (down 27,231)
Feb. 28 Presidential Preference Election (Green, Republican parties only)
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Green Party candidates (ballot order) |
Republican Party candidates (ballot order) |
