Nearly 4,000 New Republicans In State

A press release from Secretary of the State Denise Merrill:

Secretary of the State Denise Merrill today reminded Republican and unaffiliated voters that the voter registration deadline for the April 24, 2012 Republican Presidential Preference Primary in Connecticut is fast approaching. 

Secretary Merrill is also reporting that since the beginning of the year, some 3,878 new voters have registered with the Republican party and 1,515 unaffiliated voters in Connecticut have enrolled with the Republican party, enabling them to vote in the upcoming Presidential Preference Primary. 

“Republicans in Connecticut will be going to the polls in a major regional primary on April 24th, along with voters in New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Rhode Island,” said Secretary Merrill, Connecticut’s chief elections official.  “This primary is looking to be the decisive contest in the 2012 Republican nomination battle.  Eligible voters have until Monday April 23rd at 12:00 p.m. noon to register as Republicans if they wish to vote in the Presidential Preference Primary.  Unaffiliated voters also face that same deadline to enroll with the Republican party if they want to cast a ballot in April 24th.”

From January 1, 2012 through March 27, 2012 more than 16,402 new voters registered to vote.  Among newly registered voters more than 5,189 Democrats and 3,878 Republicans registered to vote.  In that same period of time some 6,991 new voters registered as unaffiliated.  Additionally, more than 1,515 unaffiliated voters enrolled in the Republican Party in order to vote in the April 24th primary. 

Compared to 2008 numbers, these numbers represent a decline in both new Republican voters and unaffiliated voters enrolling in the party in the months leading up to the Republican Presidential Preference primary.  In 2008, some 6,300 new voters registered as Republicans in the 90 days prior to the primary, while some 3,600 unaffiliated voters enrolled as Republicans during that same time period, enabling them to cast ballots for President.  There are currently nearly 2,000,000 active registered voters in Connecticut, including 734,431 Democrats, 414,539 Republicans, and 828,252 unaffiliated voters.

Polls will be open on April 24, 2012 from 6:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. for registered Republicans in Connecticut for the Presidential Preference Primary.  Voters can go online at www.sots.ct.gov to download voter registration forms, absentee ballot applications, and find out where their polling place is located.

CURRENT ACTIVE VOTERS BY PARTY AS OF 03/27/12                                                              

PARTY                                                         COUNT

--------------------------------------------------  -----------

A Better Future                                             6

A Connecticut Party                                      4

A Sentinel Party                                            30

Canterbury First                                            2

Chatham Party                                              9

Concerned Citizens                                       196

Connecticut For Lieberman                            81

Democratic                                                   734,431

Enfield Taxpayers Party                                  2

Friends Of Saybrook                                       13

Green                                                            1,722

Guilty                                                            1

Independence                                                808

Independence For Montville                             8

Independent                                                    9,482

Libertarian                                                       1,259

Milford Independent Party                                 2

Norwich for Change                                          1

Pro-Bethel                                                       2

Realistic Balance                                              3

Reform                                                            87

Republican                                                 414,539

Swing                                                              1

The Hampton Party                                           1

Unaffiliated                                                 828,252

We The People                                                  47

Winsted Independent                                         36

Working Families                                              164

                                                    ===========

Total Active Voters    1,991,189 

Previous Presidential Primary Turnout

2008 Democratic               51.1%

2008 Republican               36.7%

2004 Democratic               20.4% 

2000 Republican               40.8%

2000 Democratic               28.8%

1996 Republican               28.4%

1992 Democratic               26.2%

1992 Republican               21.9%

1988 Democratic               36.8%

1988 Republican               23.8%

1984 Democratic               33.0%

1980 Democratic               33.2%

1980 Republican               43.3%