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More Independents Registered to Vote than Democrats for First Time Ever in Arizona

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/knau/local-knau-947653.mp3

Phoenix, AZ – The difference is not much. There are now just 2,036 more
independents than Democrats. But the crossover, which occurred
since voter registration closed prior to last year's general
election, is part of a longer-term trend where parties are less
and less important. Pollster Earl deBerge said the reasons for
this depend on the age of the voter.

(I think with younger registrants it is more of a philosophical
approach about being disinterested in parties. Less so that they
would be people who said, gee, I was with a party and I was
enthusiastic about it, now I think it's all a bunch of crap and
they've moved away.)

DeBerge said while the Democrats are in the headlines today, the
Republicans should not be celebrating. The percent of registered
voters who identify themselves as members of the Grand Old Party
also continues to slide, from nearly 37 1/2 percent two years ago
to 35.8 percent now. GOP spokesman Matt Roberts.

(In the past, I don't think it's any revelation that the
Republican Party kind of drifted away from what our principles
were. And we paid the price for that, in terms of voter
registration, in terms of election results.)

But Roberts insisted that the party can, in his words, re-brand
itself and stem the slide in registrations. For Arizona Public
Radio this is Howard Fischer.