New voter registration data for the 29 states (plus D.C.) that have registration by party shows that Libertarian registration has risen 8% since October 2008. UPDATE: the original post said Libertarian registration was up 11%. At the time I wrote it, I had current official data for all but two states, Massachusetts and Florida. For those two states I had used unofficial data. Now I have received the official data, and it turns out my unofficial data for Florida had included inactive voters, and the unofficial data for Massachusetts had been wrong for another reason.
All other nationally-organized parties lost registrants. The number of registered voters in the 29 states (plus D.C.) that have registration by party declined since October 2008, because states purge their lists in between elections.
The June 1, 2010 printed Ballot Access News will have a table showing the number of registered voters in each state, in each party. More voters are registered Libertarians now than ever before. Between October 2008 and this spring, Libertarian registration rose in 19 of the 23 states that tally Libertarians. It declined in four states, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, and South Dakota. The decline in South Dakota isn’t surprising because the party has not been on the ballot there since 2006.
What if the American Independent Party’s registration is included in the CP’s numbers? With party growth in Nevada and California, I suspect their numbers grew.
I’ve been in the habit of including the Kansas Reform Party, Alaskan Independence Party, and Nebraska Party (does this party still have registrations?) in the total CP number, since those parties function as state affiliates.
Trent:
I did not know the Alaskan Independence Party was a state affiliate of the Constitution Party? I thought they only nominated the Constitution Party Presidential ticket in a recent election but remain a true “independent” state party. Correct me if I’m wrong.
You are correct. I specified those two parties by saying they “functioned as state affiliates” because any CPers basically get directed to those parties while those parties offer the CP ballot access for Presidential campaigns. The Nebraska Party of Nebraska was basically the same way. The CP will have taken a major hit on the Nebraska Party because they lost ballot access and therefore lost their registrants.
Speaking of the Nebraska Party, didn’t they try to change the name to “Nebraska Independent Party” but state election officials denied such claiming the word “Independent” was misleading making voters think that it was a party for “independents” or “no party” voters?
Why didn’t the party leadership instead use the name “Nebraska Independence Party?” It would have been hard for state officials to use the same argument. And a member of an “Independence Party” is philosopically an “Independent!”
I say other states which refuse to allow the party to use the word “Independent” as part of the party name, ought to instead use “Independence” in the name. I don’t see how even the courts could then say such word is too close to “independent” and confuses the voters.
I hope the folks in Nebraska will rethink this. Such a name – “Nebraska Independence Party” would appeal to many voters.
I believe the Nebraska Party is defunct–I guess we’ll see.
Even if the California AIP is included with the Constitution Party, the Constitution Party registration declined. This is partly because of a big decline for all parties in Nevada. The purge must have been severe in that state. Such a large proportion of Constitution Party voters in the US come from Nevada, that Nevada decline knocked the Constitution Party down nationally.
On all levels now the Libertarian Party has full claim to its status as “America’s Third Largest Political Party.” The Greens tried to steal that title for a while. But they have zero claim to that now.
Libertarians have more public elected officials and those serving in office than just about all other minor parties combined.
Libertarians have consistently higher vote totals at just about all levels.
Libertarians are more organized in more states than any other minor party.
And now Libertarians have the highest amount of registered voters in the Nation.
Next time some Leftist puke tries to claim, “well, the Green Party is bigger than the Libertarians,” smack them up side the head with the cold hard facts.
America is a Right Country, and fortunately, given the ascendance of the Tea Party movement, it’s increasingly Libertarian Right.
I was only able to register Libertarian in Ohio this past month during the primary. Is the fact that there were no registered Libertarians in Ohio before and a couple thousand now contributing to this 11% surge?
Can anyone document whether “Nebraska . . . state election officials denied such (creation of an Independent Party), claiming the word “Independent” was misleading making voters think that it was a party for “independents” or “no party” voters.”
Dan Meek:
I don’t know about documenting such by Nebraska election officials, but I do recall a website news item a year or so ago to this effect. I’ve looked for it and can’t find anything now. It may have been “washed” for whatever reason. Do you know new or additional information about this? Maybe Richard knows something about it. I would think Nebraska would be a good state for either a “Nebraska Independent Party” or a “Nebraska Independence Party.” Under either label, a strong 3rd party could emerge.
It appeared that a Rosberg family in Nebraska were (or are) the main leaders of the party – with at least 4 Rosbergs running for different offices over the years. They seemed to have dropped out of sight politically. If they are no longer interested, surely there are some others who would be. Sad that such a great start for a state 3rd party appears to have been abandoned.