from Ballot Access News
Two Major Parties Now Have 73.5% of Registration, Perhaps Their Lowest Ever
November 18th, 2010
The twentynine states with registration by party, plus the District of Columbia, reported in October or November 2010 that 73.5% of all voters are registered Democrats or registered Republicans. This is the lowest percentage for the two major parties since before 1980, and probably the lowest ever. There was no such thing as registration into political parties, on voter registration forms, before the 1910′s decade. The idea that people should be asked to choose a party on a voter registration form did not arise until after the start of direct primary elections.
At the spring 2010 tallies, the two major parties had 73.8% of the registration. In October 1992, the two major parties had 80.7% of the registration. The December 1 2010 printed Ballot Access News will contain registration data by party and by state.
In Alaska the DemReps have a combined total of 41% of regstered voters, meaning 59% of Alaska voers have chosen other options.
We will also be holding a vote (which happens every ten years) in 2012 on whether or not to have an Alaskan Constitutional Convention.
Some would like to see this as an opportunity to create counties with sheriffs, rather than the borough and state trooper system we now have.