The number of registered members in each party, in each state, will be in the December 1, 2008 printed Ballot Access News. Compared to the period January/February 2008, the national totals in the 30 states that have registration by party (counting D.C. as a state) show a relative increase for Democrats and minor parties, and a relative decline for Republicans and independents.

The new figures show: Democratic 43.61%; Republican 30.69%; independent and miscellaneous 24.02%; Constitution .43%, Green .25%, Libertarian .24%, Working Families .05%, other minor parties .71%.

The figures early in 2008 showed: Democratic 41.66%; Republican 31.89%; independent and miscellaneous 24.82%; Constitution .41%; Green .28%; Libertarian .24%; other minor parties (including Working Familes) .71%.

One might have expected Republican registration to rise, since many voters changed to Republican in order to vote in the contentious Republican presidential primaries.

All data is current, except that Louisiana’s is old. By the time the December 1 newsletter is ready for print, current Louisiana data should be in hand. For purposes of the calculation, the American Independent Party of California is assumed to still be the California unit of the Constitution Party. The court case earlier this year between two factions of that party did not resolve the issue, but the case continues.

The Florida Green Party sued one of its own state legislative candidates back on September 24, 2008, to gain information on whether she paid her own filing fee, or whether possibly Republican Party campaign consultants may have paid it. A hearing is set for January 6, 2009, to decide if the party has a right to depose the candidate on how her filing fee was paid. The case is King v Roman, Pasco Co., 51-2008-ca-8091.

Five Greens ran for the Florida legislature this year, and none of them were individuals known to the Green Party. Since the legislature changed the law in 2007 to provide that all qualified parties nominate by primary, of course there was nothing to prevent any voter in the state from registering into the Green Party and filing in its primary. The Green Party suspects that the five legislative candidates who ran this year were all recruited by people associated with Republican Party campaigns.

According to this article in the Contra Costa Times, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger still favors bringing the “top-two” system to California, even though California voters rejected it in 2004, and even though Oregon voters rejected it 2-1 in last week’s election. Thanks to Rick Hasen for the link.