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Libertarian Party of California Voter Registration: Difference between revisions
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Libertarian Party of California Voter Registration (view source)
Revision as of 19:02, 19 March 2021
, 19 March 2021update text and graphs to reflect 10 February Report of Registration
(update text to say most recent data available is October, replace graph by party with a newer one) |
(update text and graphs to reflect 10 February Report of Registration) |
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==History== | ==History== | ||
[[File:LPC-hist-regvot- | [[File:LPC-hist-regvot-202102.png]] | ||
Voter registration counts vary over time not only because of changing levels of actual support, but also for technical reasons. Many people register to vote in the time shortly before a major election, often resulting in temporary spikes in counts. Removal of names from the voter rolls in an effort to weed out people who are no longer actually eligible to vote in a given area, either on an ongoing basis or in the form of occasional "purges", can cause declines in the counts that don't reflect any real decline in support. Also increases in the number of registered voters take place in the context of a generally increasing population. This graph shows both the absolute number of voters registered Libertarian (scale on the left) and the fraction of all registered voters who were registered as Libertarians (scale on the right). | Voter registration counts vary over time not only because of changing levels of actual support, but also for technical reasons. Many people register to vote in the time shortly before a major election, often resulting in temporary spikes in counts. Removal of names from the voter rolls in an effort to weed out people who are no longer actually eligible to vote in a given area, either on an ongoing basis or in the form of occasional "purges", can cause declines in the counts that don't reflect any real decline in support. Also increases in the number of registered voters take place in the context of a generally increasing population. This graph shows both the absolute number of voters registered Libertarian (scale on the left) and the fraction of all registered voters who were registered as Libertarians (scale on the right). | ||
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Both because of continued growth in the number of registered Libertarians and because of a change in the law which reduced the number required, the LPC's retention of qualified party status by this measure is no longer an issue. As of 2020, the Libertarian voter count is more than twice the required number. | Both because of continued growth in the number of registered Libertarians and because of a change in the law which reduced the number required, the LPC's retention of qualified party status by this measure is no longer an issue. As of 2020, the Libertarian voter count is more than twice the required number. | ||
After a moderate decline in the early 2000s, statewide Libertarian registration then began rising again both in absolute numbers and as a fraction of all registered voters. This increase has been fairly steady starting in 2008, but included significant jumps associated with the 2012 and | After a moderate decline in the early 2000s, statewide Libertarian registration then began rising again both in absolute numbers and as a fraction of all registered voters. This increase has been fairly steady starting in 2008, but included significant jumps associated with the 2012, 2016, and 2020 presidential elections. From the mid-2008 low to February 2021 (the most recent report available), the absolute count has more than doubled, and the Libertarian fraction of all registered voters is now slightly higher than the level at the end of the initial registration drive. | ||
Since this recent period has not included any large-scale attempts to boost Libertarian registration for its own sake, it seems reasonable to attribute this increase over the past decade to other factors, such as: (1) increasing awareness and/or sympathy for the Libertarian brand, (2) dissatisfaction with the more established parties, and (3) a continuing replacement in the voter rolls of records representing people who were simply maintaining a past affiliation by default, with records representing people who have more recently had reason to make a choice, whether that be because they were newly eligible to vote or because they re-registered as a result of a move. | Since this recent period has not included any large-scale attempts to boost Libertarian registration for its own sake, it seems reasonable to attribute this increase over the past decade to other factors, such as: (1) increasing awareness and/or sympathy for the Libertarian brand, (2) dissatisfaction with the more established parties, and (3) a continuing replacement in the voter rolls of records representing people who were simply maintaining a past affiliation by default, with records representing people who have more recently had reason to make a choice, whether that be because they were newly eligible to vote or because they re-registered as a result of a move. | ||
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There are currently six qualified parties in California. The Democratic Party has the largest number of registered voters by a significant margin, followed by the Republicans. In third place is the American Independent Party. The LP is in fourth place, followed by the Peace and Freedom Party and then the Greens. | There are currently six qualified parties in California. The Democratic Party has the largest number of registered voters by a significant margin, followed by the Republicans. In third place is the American Independent Party. The LP is in fourth place, followed by the Peace and Freedom Party and then the Greens. | ||
[[File: | [[File:CA_regbypartyhistory_2021-02-10.png]] | ||
Notes on the graph: | Notes on the graph: | ||