Current registration data shows that 29.9% of voters in states that have partisan registration are Republicans. This is slightly higher than the October 2014 percentage, when Republicans had 29.8% This is the first time the Republican share nationwide has risen since 2004, when it was slightly better than it had been in 2002.

Democratic registration nationwide is at 40.6%, the lowest it has been in at least 35 years. The share of registered independents and minor parties is 29.5%, the highest it has ever been since I have been collecting data starting in 1980.

However, these figures are still not completely final, because Massachusetts has still not furnished any data newer than February 2015. New Massachusetts data is expected early next week. For those of you who subscribe to the print version of Ballot Access News, the March 1 issue won’t be mailed until the Massachusetts data is obtained, so your copy may not arrive until March 4 or so.

On February 26, the California Attorney General finished the paperwork for a proposed initiative that would remove all party labels from California ballots (except for President). The proponents may now begin to circulate that petition. It requires 585,407 valid signatures, due August 24, in order to get on the November 2016 ballot. This initiative has a Secretary of State tracking number: 1780.

The Sacramento Bee has this story about the rise in the number of voters registered in minor parties in California, compared to four years ago. The story was brought about because a few days ago, California released its first voter registration data since February 2015. Thanks to Irv Sutley for the link.