New York State Board of Elections recently released registration data (as of April 1, 2007). Compared to a year ago, the Democratic, Independence, Working Families, Libertarian Parties have a higher share of the state’s registration than a year ago. Also the share of independent voters is higher. Parties with a smaller share than they had a year ago are Republican, Conservative and Green.

The current totals are Democratic 5,320,943 (47.42%); Republican 3,015,385 (26.87%); Independence 336,847 (3.00%); Conservative 149,157 (1.33%); Working Families 34,990 (.31%); Green 31,898 (.28%); Libertarian 1,257 (.01%); independents 2,331,561 (20.78%). Also the Socialist Workers Party has 4 registrants in the state; no tally had ever before been done in New York for the SWP.

On April 1, 2006, the totals were Democratic 5,489,521 (47.21%); Republican 3,143,233 (27.03%); Independence 339,382 (2.92%); Conservative 154,614 (1.33%); Liberal 68,242 (.59%); Right to Life 39,594 (.34%); Green 36,141 (.31%); Working Families 32,723 (.28%); Libertarian 798 (.01%); Marijuana Reform 171 (.00%); independent 2,322,966 (19.98%).

The reason the Libertarian registration is so low is that it has never been listed as a choice on the voter registration form; voters must write it in. New York doesn’t print the names of unqualified parties on the voter registration form, but it tallies them if they appeared on the ballot for a statewide office at the last gubernatorial election. The Green Party is no longer listed on the form but it was listed between 1999 and 2003 and it retains all the voters it picked up during those years, unless they make a new choice. The voters who were formerly tallied in the Liberal and Right to Life Parties were converted to independents after the 2006 election, since those two parties did not qualify any statewide nominees for the 2006 ballot. Thanks to Bill Van Allen for this news.