Voter Rolls Swelling in PA (Surge of Dem Sign-Ups Reverses Years of Repub Domination in 2 Counties)

[Hissyspit]

Source: Associated Press

Voter rolls swelling in Pa.

April 7, 2008
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Voter registration for Pennsylvania's April 22 presidential primary is close to setting a a new record, and a surge of Democratic sign-ups has reversed years of Republican domination in two suburban Philadelphia counties. Statewide registration stands at 8.32 million -- fewer than 50,000 votes shy of breaking the record set in the 2004 presidential election, according to updated county totals state officials released Monday.

That total is expected to grow because county officials continue to process applications that were filed by the March 24 deadline.

The number of registered Democrats is 4.2 million, up 8 percent since last fall's election, reflecting intense interest in the battle for the Democratic presidential nomination between Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois. They are competing for 158 delegates to the national nominating convention in Denver in August -- the largest group of delegates that will be awarded in the 10 contests remaining.

As a result of the latest updates, Democrats outnumber Republicans in Bucks and Montgomery counties -- both longtime GOP bastions -- for the first time in recent memory. Democrats also have made steady gains in neighboring Chester and Delaware counties, largely because of recruitment drives by the Obama and Clinton campaigns, but the Republican Party remains the majority party there.



Read more: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/04/07/voter_rolls_swelling_in_pa/?rss_id=Boston.com+--+Latest+news

[InsultComicDog]

1. Woo Hoo MontCo PA

I would never have believed the difference from when I first lived in the county.

Now even out here in Upper Gwynedd there are lots of Democrats. Used to be practically none.

[Eurobabe]

4. Hey there, Ardmore checking in.

:hi:

[roguevalley]

13. this is why Penn can't be pegged anymore I think. I LOVE that

people are manifestsing publicly their repudiation of Bush and his evil empire. Suck on that, Georgie boy.

[Eurobabe]

2. Yep, one daughter in Montco

the other voting absentee in Chesco. It's definitely trending more Dem.

The Philly burbs are slowly turning deep purple I tell you. :D

I will fly home to cast my ballot, just because its more fun to end Bush's reign and usher in the new, watch the whole thing as it unfolds. :bounce:

[Judi Lynn]

3. Wasn't it revealed recently that a buttload of Republicans actually switched to be able to vote as

Democrats in order to throw the primary in the direction they wanted in Pennsylvania? I may have the wrong state, but I feel convinced it's Pennsylvania.

I'll try to check. We need something to feel hopeful about!

[Judi Lynn]

5. Yup, I heard correctly, unfortunately. Here's an article, as an example:

Voters switch parties to help McCain
By STEVE MARRONI
Evening Sun Reporter
Article Launched: 03/13/2008 12:12:56 PM EDT

Sandra Reed of Gettysburg has been a Republican since she was old enough to vote.

But, Tuesday, she and her husband, Vernon, went to the Adams County Courthouse and became Democrats.

"We were registered Republicans, and we will always be Republicans, but we want to help Hillary get the No. 1 position for the Democrats," said Reed, 70. "So, we are switching for the primary to vote for Hillary, then we will switch back and vote for McCain."

With last week's primaries in Ohio and Texas creating a more-heated race between Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton, local election officials are seeing not only more new voters, but they are also seeing more people switching their party affiliations - mainly from Republican to Democrat.

Some think this is because votes in Pennsylvania's April 22 Democratic primary will likely have national implications, and may even choose a winner.

Others say Republicans want to have a say in who their candidate, Sen. John McCain, will face in November.

That's what the Reeds did. They got the idea to influence the Democratic race from conservative radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh, she said. Limbaugh recommended his listeners temporarily switch party affiliation to give Clinton a boost, and vote out Obama.

More:
http://www.eveningsun.com/ci_8559675

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Clinton-Obama race spurs party switches
By JULIA SILVERMAN, Associated Press Writer
Tue Apr 1, 1:57 PM ET

~snip~
In Pennsylvania, where the primary is set for April 22, the Democrats have registered a staggering 235,000 new voters since last fall, pushing their numbers to more than 4.1 million for the first time. In West Virginia, which votes on May 13, the increase has come in the form of a swell in nonaffiliated voters, said Democratic Party executive director Tom Vogel, after the Democratic primary was opened to independents for the first time in recent history.

"We are sure there are Republicans who are switching to vote in our primary, whether they honestly want to vote or if they have more malicious purposes to try to get the candidate of their choice to run against," Vogel said.

More:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080401/ap_on_el_pr/vote_switching

[cliffordu]

10. Ya know what, though.....

I find it difficult to believe that people ACTUALLY go to the trouble to get off the couch and attempt to manipulate the Dem primary........It's difficult to get MOST people out to vote at all, let alone go switch registrations, vote, switch registrations back and then vote in the GE.....


It just seems like an Urban myth and good newspaper copy since we can't be allowed to see dead coming back from Iraq.


It might be happening on a relatively rare basis, but I refuse to believe it's a election maker/breaker.

[roseBudd]

17. I would agree if the demographic wasn't dittoheads, they are perpetually outrages and hate is a

powerful motivator

[BumRushDaShow]

11. The rim counties have been trending Democrat for some time now...

There are very few ditto-heads out to skew the election. If anything, the Republican switchers are fiscal conservatives fed up with Bushco and the war. There're also alot of Independents who were Independent by virtue of registering via Motor Voter but forgetting to (or not choosing to) check off a party affiliation on the form and now they decided to choose.

The Democratic Party lead is now up to 7,500 (and rising) in Montco per a radio news broadcast that I just heard.

[Mz Pip]

14. This falls into the category

of "Be careful what you wish for." I don't think Hillary would be so easy to beat. Republicans underestimate the motivation of Deocratic voters this year. No matter who our candidate is, come November the GOP should be very afraid.

[InsultComicDog]

6. I doubt many did that in the Philly burbs

A good percentage of the Republican base here were always "moderate Republican" types. I have a feeling they have been pushed over the edge.

They may have switched because they wanted to vote in the Democratic primary, but not as dittoheads.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[InsultComicDog]

8. It is notable

that in all of the Philly burbs, the Democratic numbers have been slowly but steadily increasing relative to the total since the 90's.

[JustinL]

9. check out this table from ten years ago

link (Edit to fix link)

In 1998, Republicans outnumbered Democrats in Bucks County 50.4 to 36.8 percent. In Montgomery County, Rs outnumbered Ds 55.9 to 32.0.

[noel711]

12. When I said my Bucks County was going blue...

I was mocked! Mocked!
Right here at DU!

But... go ahead,
I accept your apologies!

Let's show 'em all come November!

We rock!

[starroute]

15. A lot of Republicans here are very pro-environmental

I'm in Upper Bucks County, and I recall someone explaining to me 30 years ago that the Democratic Party was distrusted here as being based in Lower Bucks -- the part immediately adjoining Philadelphia -- and was also considered to be both somewhat corrupt and in bed with the developers who threatened the rural areas.

That last point was perhaps the most important -- there are a lot of affluent NIMBY types in the countryside who hate the developments that keep sprouting up on their idyllic back roads with a passion. But I think that people of that type are finding that they have even less in common with today's Republican Party -- and its corporate backers -- than with the Democrats.

(A certain number of them have become Greens, but I would guess that even many of those are now leaning towards Obama.)

Add in the fact that those same developments have brought in a lot of mainstream suburbanites -- who are also trending blue -- and the old-style small-town conservatives are increasingly outnumbered.

[Acadia Blue]

16. I hope the Dems win but I suspect the shadow gov. of corporate

socialists are so entrenched now that its going to take a Teddy Roosevelt not a DLC lady or man who
already is compromised by the corporate socialists.

Hill and Nafta....yea she supported it. Look at what its done? Does she care? I doubt it. Her Chelsea is in the aristocracy and our children might not even stay in the middle classs.

She and O are better than McBush...but how much better. The DLC has destroyed the Democratic party.