The Utah state elections office has this registration tally as of July 18, 2017. The percentages: Republican 48.30%; Democratic 11.62%; Independent American 1.71%; Libertarian .85%; Constitution .35%; United Utah .003% (40 registered members); independent and other 37.17%.
Just prior to the November 2016 election, the percentages were: Republican 48.40%; Democratic 11.39%; Independent American 1.41%; Libertarian .81%; Constitution .33%; independent and other 37.66%.
These figures are for active voters. A handful of states also keep track of inactive voters, but traditionally B.A.N. doesn’t use those figures.
In some States it is unclear whether they are reporting “Active Voters” or total voters. Since the terms are misleading, the spelling “Inactive Voter” and “Active Voter”, with quotes, may be preferred.
When a legislative committee in Arizona was considering the bill that increased the Libertarian Party, it also included a change that excluded “Inactive Voters” from the denominator of calculations based on registered voters. Legislators were confused – suggesting that if they got an “inactive voter” to sign their petition and have them become (re)involved in the political process they should be rewarded, not punished.
Finally a white-haired lady from the Maricopa County elections office, who probably refers to Carl Hayden as “Sonny”, got up and explained the term. Federal law does not permit removal (purging) of voters from the voting rolls for not voting. Someone might have registered years ago and never voted. They would still be considered “Active”. Only persons who are certified as having died, have registered elsewhere (within the State), have confirmed that they have moved, have personally requested removal, have been convicted of a felony, or adjudged to be mentally incompetent may be removed from the voting rolls.
The only exception is that if election officials are unable to contact a voter by mail, the voter may be placed on the suspense list as an “Inactive Voter”. An “Inactive Voter” may vote, sign petitions, etc. When (if) they vote, they do not have to vote provisionally. They are handed a ballot and their status is changed to Active. If they make contact with election officials, or confirm a new voting address, they are also restored. Conceivably, signing a petition should switch a voter back to Active status, but that presumes that the petition is verified.
If an “Inactive Voter” does not vote for two federal elections, they may then be removed from the voter rolls. Generally, Inactive Voters have moved elsewhere.
So in Arizona it was considered unfair that the number of signatures to be gathered be based on voters who have probably moved to California or New Mexico or elsewhere. Instead of 1% of the voters whose signature might actively be possible to obtain, you would have to obtain 1+%.
After the Maricopa elections lady explained this, the committee members then said “Oh”, then asked why they used such misleading terms, and it was explained that they were the terms used in federal statute.
When the registration bill was being considered in the full House (or perhaps Senate), a legislator made the same claim that Republicans were discriminating on the basis of someone not voting.
Utah appears to switch voters from Active to Inactive status, and from Inactive status to Non-Registered at the same time. If you look at the February 6 and 13, 2017 registration figures, there is a decline of 25,000 in Total Voters, likely due to voters who after being placed on Inactive Status did not vote in 2014 or 2016 general elections (or any other elections).
At the same time, the number of Active Voters declined by 57,000, likely due to voters being placed on Inactive Status; and a net increase of 32,000 in Inactive Voters (Active to Inactive switches minus Inactive to removed).
The ratio of inactive to total voters varies quite a bit by party. 17.5% of unaffiliated voters, 16.7% of Constitution, and 16.5% of Libertarian are inactive, compared to 12.0% of Democrats and 10.0% of Republicans. Democrats, and Republicans, in particular, tend to be more financially and residentially stable. They are also likely somewhat older. Minor party registrants might of signed up to vote casually when they got a drivers license. If there was a Shiny Object Party on the form, they might have checked that. Some of the unaffiliated voters may have written in “Whatever”. They move and become Inactive. If they stay around and become more connected to the community, they may change to Republican or Democratic, even if it is simply to be permitted to vote in the primary.
An exception to this is that only 7.5% of total Independent American voters are inactive. But that is because many of the IA registrations are relatively, new. IA registration has quadrupled in the past 2-1/2 years. There has been less time for these new registrants to move.
The July 18, 2017 report was the first for United Utah Party. The UUP was not counted in the July 11, 2017 report.