Registration of voters rises in September

New figures from the Nevada secretary of state show Democrats registered more voters than Republicans in September, but the fastest-growing group was in the nonpartisan category.

Republican and Democratic registrations increased by 4,026 and 5,051 respectively, an increase of about 1 percent for each, Secretary of State Ross Miller reported. "Nonpartisan registrations increased by 4,040, a 2.4 percent increase," Miller said.

The September registration rate was nearly twice that of August and, with the deadline for mail-in and online registration past, leaves Democrats ahead of Republicans going into the 2010 election. In-person registration can be completed at county registrar offices through Oct. 12.

Total active Democrats at the end of September were 466,512, total active Republicans were 406,986, and total nonpartisan were 171,842. Statewide, there are 1,106,750 active, registered voters.

There are 32,656 fewer active, registered voters today than there were at the end of January when the total was 1,139,406.

Clark County registrar of voters Larry Lomax said that is because people who voted in previous elections did not respond to mailers verifying their registration and residency status, thus moving to the inactive category.

Although inactive voters can still vote, turnout numbers are calculated using active voter registrations.

Democrats since January lost 27,441 registrations from the active list, the majority of the decrease. Republicans lost 2,531, and nonpartisan active registrations fell 2,984.

The decline is more dramatic since November 2008, when a Democratic wave led by then-candidate Barack Obama swept Nevada and the nation.

At the close of registration for the 2008 general election, there were more than 1.2 million active voters statewide, a total that included 531,317 Democrats, 430,594 Republicans and 183,589 nonpartisan.

Lomax said a decrease in active voters is typical in nonpresidential elections.

Voters should receive more information soon. In-state absentee ballots for Clark County are scheduled to be mailed today. Sample ballots are scheduled to be in the mail by Saturday. Early voting starts Oct. 16 and ends Oct. 29.

Contact reporter Benjamin Spillman at bspillman@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3861.