Kentucky: Republicans Closing Voter Registration Gap

[Frodo]

Republicans closing voter registration gap in Ky.

Posted: Thursday, May 1, 2014 4:45 pm | Updated: 7:02 pm, Thu May 1, 2014.
Associated Press

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Democrats maintain a comfortable lead in registered voters in Kentucky, but Republicans are closing the gap.

Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes announced Thursday that Republicans registered an additional 44,852 voters since the 2012 general election while Democrats added an extra 6,811 voters.

Democrats still outnumber Republicans in Kentucky by more than 476,000 voters. But since November 2008 - when Democratic President Barack Obama was first elected - the Republican Party of Kentucky has added 142,312 voters while the Kentucky Democratic Party has added 10,571.

Registered Democrats now make up 53 percent of all voters, down from 57 percent in 2008. Republicans account for 38 percent of all voters, up from 36 percent in 2008.

[Indy Texas]

Looked up the registration figures on the state's SBOE website.

By voter registration, these are the most strongly Democratic counties,

1. Elliott (D 92.4% / R 4.9% / O 2.8%)
2. Knott (D 91.9% / R 5.9% / O 2.1%
3. Breathitt (D 90.0% / R 7.7% / O 2.1%)
4. Morgan (D 88.4% / R 9.9% / O 1.8%)
5. Wolfe (D 88.2% / R 8.7% / O 3.0%)

The most strongly Republican counties,

1. Leslie (D 11.0% / R 86.8% / O 2.3%)
2. Clay (D 13.5% / R 84.2% / O 2.3%)
3. Monroe (D 13.3% / R 83.6% / O 3.1%)
4. Jackson (D 13.2% / R 83.0% / O 3.8%)
5. Cumberland (D 15.2% / R 81.9% / O 2.9%)

And the figures for Kentucky's major counties, with major cities indicated,

1. Jefferson / Louisville (D 58.0% / R 32.9% / O 9.1%)
2. Fayette / Lexington (D 52.5% / R 37.0% / O 10.5%)
3. Kenton / Covington (D 41.4% / R 44.9% / O 13.7%)
4. Boone / Burlington (D 34.4% / R 52.7% / O 12.9%)
5. Hardin / Elizabethtown (D 50.8% / R 39.4% / O 9.8%)

[Bandit3 the Worker]

I read this article a few days ago. There's no way in hell that new voters are 13-to-1 Republican. Besides that, the article contradicts itself by saying independents are growing faster than any major party.

[Adam Griffin]

I read this article a few days ago. There's no way in hell that new voters are 13-to-1 Republican.

Nowhere did it say that they were all "new voters". Most of the changes probably come from individuals switching parties. When you think about all the old KY Democrats dying off at the same time, no wonder there's such a huge discrepancy between the two.

Besides that, the article contradicts itself by saying independents are growing faster than any major party.

No it doesn't. "Democrat -> Independent". There are plenty of folk in Kentucky who would be ready to leave the Democratic Party but who would never identify as a Republican. That's where the growth in independents is coming from, and also explains why the Dems aren't adding any significant number of net voters.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

I read this article a few days ago. There's no way in hell that new voters are 13-to-1 Republican.

Nowhere did it say that they were all "new voters". Most of the changes probably come from individuals switching parties. When you think about all the old KY Democrats dying off at the same time, no wonder there's such a huge discrepancy between the two.

Besides that, the article contradicts itself by saying independents are growing faster than any major party.

No it doesn't. "Democrat -> Independent". There are plenty of folk in Kentucky who would be ready to leave the Democratic Party but who would never identify as a Republican. That's where the growth in independents is coming from, and also explains why the Dems aren't adding any significant number of net voters.

It said the Republicans gained 45,000, while independents gained less than 17,000. Yet it also says independents grew faster than Republicans, which contradicts that.

Also, the Secretary of State website did have monthly motor-voter statistics up, which lean more Republican than new voters overall. Republicans have a slight edge in some months; Democrats have a slight edge in other months.

With the Tea Party being basically fossilized, I would think the Republicans would be the ones dying off.

[Adam Griffin]

I read this article a few days ago. There's no way in hell that new voters are 13-to-1 Republican.

Nowhere did it say that they were all "new voters". Most of the changes probably come from individuals switching parties. When you think about all the old KY Democrats dying off at the same time, no wonder there's such a huge discrepancy between the two.

Besides that, the article contradicts itself by saying independents are growing faster than any major party.

No it doesn't. "Democrat -> Independent". There are plenty of folk in Kentucky who would be ready to leave the Democratic Party but who would never identify as a Republican. That's where the growth in independents is coming from, and also explains why the Dems aren't adding any significant number of net voters.

It said the Republicans gained 45,000, while independents gained less than 17,000. Yet it also says independents grew faster than Republicans, which contradicts that.

Also, the Secretary of State website did have monthly motor-voter statistics up, which lean more Republican than new voters overall. Republicans have a slight edge in some months; Democrats have a slight edge in other months.

With the Tea Party being basically fossilized, I would think the Republicans would be the ones dying off.

If it's like most states, when they say "new voters", they mean "net increase in voters". I'd have a very hard time believing those numbers (the 140k versus 10k) if that was supposed to be first-time registrants.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

I do know Kentucky removes voters from the rolls mighty quick if they die, move out of state, or simply don't vote.

[TX Conservative Dem]

Since Kentucky's already a Red State, the Dems are declining very fast.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Democrats may still be strong in statewide and local elections in Kentucky (maybe even Lean D), but I expect it will soon become as red as it is in presidential elections.