Scott Powers
With October voter registration data posted Friday on the Florida Division of Elections website, unofficial announcements made three weeks ago at last were confirmed by public, official counts: There now are more registered Republicans than registered Democrats in Florida, for the first time ever.
But the voter registration numbers posted through October don’t show any big voter registration push by the Republican Party of Florida.
Instead, they show the RPOF was not hit as hard by voter losses as the Florida Democratic Party. That is, Republicans won the latest count by having their registered voters rolls shrink less since last year.
According to the latest counts issued Friday by the Secretary of State’s Division of Elections, on Oct. 31 there were 5,118,357 registered Republicans and 5,114,039 registered Democrats. That gives the RPOF 4,318 more voters than the FDP.
Never before have Republicans outnumbered Democrats in Florida.
Just last year, in the 2020 General Election, Democrats held a 134,242 voter advantage. A few years ago, Democrats’ advantage was more than a half-million.
Voter registration rolls tend to stay flat or decline a bit in the year after a presidential election. In the past year, however, Florida’s electoral rolls declined a lot.
Florida Democrats cried foul three weeks ago, saying the Republican-controlled Secretary of State’s Office was purging inactive voters from the rolls in unfair ways that trimmed more Democrats than Republicans. Democrats maintain they still have an edge of 79,000 eligible voters through the end of October, including those who were recently purged as “inactive.”
Democrats provided analysis of deactivated voters that showed considerably more Democrats than Republicans removed.
“What we’re showing in our analysis is that Republicans are playing accounting shell games with the voting numbers. They’re moving a disproportionate amount of Democrats to inactive, compared to Republicans,” said FDP spokesman Jose Parra. “And this is them moving to generate a press release to make them look good. But this is not in any way, shape or form them having a massive voter registration effort.”
Republicans, however, are celebrating the change in tide.
“This huge milestone is testament to the fact that Republicans deliver for Floridians and that voters are fed up with the Democrats’ disastrous policies. Florida is Republican territory and Democrats Stephanie Murphy, Val Demings, Charlie Crist and Darren Soto are being put on notice,” RNC Spokeswoman Julia Friedland said.
In the past year, neither major party ought to boast about voter registration efforts. They both lost voters, according to the latest data.
Since the 2020 General Election, Florida has lost a net of 142,414 voters. That was how much the state’s total voter registration decreased from the 14,441,869 voters who were eligible to vote in 2020, according to Division of Elections data.
The past year has shown some gains of independent voters and among some minor parties. Meanwhile, both major parties lost voters over the past year. Democrats lost far more, according to the division’s reports.
Democrats lost 189,215 registered voters in Florida since the 2020 General Election, when there had been 5,303,254 registered Democrats. Republicans’ voter registration rolls dropped by 50,655, from the 5,169,012 Republicans who had been registered to vote in the 2020 General Election.
Republicans made their greatest gains — or, more accurately, Democrats suffered their worst losses — in South Florida. Democrats lost 37,723 voters in Miami-Dade County in a year. Republicans only lost 3,592 there. Consequently Republicans improved their standing versus their rivals by 34,131 voters.
Similarly, Democrats lost 26,265 votes in a year in Palm Beach County, while Republicans lost 12,291 there. So Republicans netted 13,974 voters compared to Democrats as a result.
Republicans also improved their standing by thousands over Democrats by losing fewer voters in Hillsborough, Leon, Pinellas, Polk, Brevard, Broward, and Pasco counties.
Republicans had actual voter registration gains in Lee, Sarasota, Collier, Volusia, Manatee, Marion, Charlotte, Sumter, Hernando, St. Johns, Citrus, St. Lucie, and Lake counties among others. In each of those, Republicans pulled away from Democrats by at least 2,000 net voters.
The only places that Democrats outdid Republicans — or more accurately Republicans lost more voters than Democrats — were in Alachua, Escambia, Seminole, Clay, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa counties.
Since the 2020 General Election, Democrats actually increased their voter registration totals in only three of Florida’s 67 counties: Sarasota, Volusia, and Sumter. But Republicans added thousands more voters than Democrats did in each of those counties.
Republicans increased their voter registration totals in 36 counties since the 2020 General Election.
22 comments
Ron Ogden
November 19, 2021 at 5:38 pm
But, I thought your narrative was all about how voters were fleeing the Republican Party over Trump. What happened?
Tom
November 20, 2021 at 5:45 am
The GOP-Republican party is more blue collar, working class, middle class, and all around in touch with middle America.
Ocean Joe
November 20, 2021 at 10:55 am
Actually the GOP is now firmly in the hands of the old southern Democrats and their spawn who left the party in the late 60’s. Now let’s get serious and buy Sloppy Steve Bannon a bar of soap….a case of soap, maybe some Lava if you can find it.
zhombre
November 21, 2021 at 9:02 am
Rubbish. Keep repeating that shibboleth but it remains untrue. You’re living in the past.
Ocean Joe
November 21, 2021 at 9:26 am
I grew up in the past, in Florida. I know who these folks are and how they thought, and your cohorts now running the GOP think the same way. Voter registration shifted from 8-1 in favor of Dems in a short time, they were not transplants or newcomers. The moderate Republicans who believed in a balanced budget, a strong defense, free trade, law and order have been pushed aside by the cult. Speaking of former Dems who left the party, Trump himself is a good example. So they own your party now. And now I will look up “shibboleth.”
zhombre
November 21, 2021 at 9:34 am
I’m actually registered NPA. Those ‘moderate Republicans,’ the establishment/country club/vichy types, got pushed aside because they were moribund (look up that word too) and did nothing for their rank-and-file voters except look down on them and spout empty promises. Democrats have jumped on the conveyer belt to the left. I reiterate: you’re living in the past.
Tom
November 21, 2021 at 9:28 am
Joe, your ignorance overtakes peter h.
Feel free to cheapen and lie bout the GOP, you and others do so at your own ignorant peril.
GOP is party of working America. Biden Harris are ensuring that more.
Gov Ron was helped in his win cause he received high support from African Americans on the school choice scholarship issue he advocated for and expanded. Gillium was abandoned on that issue and lost. But you liberal fools, ocean & predator h know better.
Spare me you liberal idiots.
Ocean Joe
November 21, 2021 at 9:49 am
There’s nothing I could say about the GOP that you guys didn’t already say on January 6.
Tom
November 21, 2021 at 10:13 am
Once again you hide, run from facts!
What, have you now adopted the Alex, H strategy.
You can’t handle the facts or truth!
Go curl up in a balled fetal state you fool! LMAO.
Trump, Trump, Jan 6, Jan 6.
50 net seats flipping you fool.
DeSantis, America’s Gov will kick your rears! Go read my reply to Henderson this morning. I replied to you below why Ron won.
zhombre
November 21, 2021 at 10:15 am
Lose an argument, shout ‘insurrection.’
Okay Joe, if the R party is run by old Southern segregationists and their spawn, how did Tim Scott get elected in SC? Or how did Mark Robinson and Winsome Sears get elected Lt Gov, respectively, in Virginia and NC? How did Bryan Donalds get elected to Congress from a Florida congressional district that is 69 percent white? (That also, over the years, switched from electing Dems to electing Republicans).
But those are rhetorical questions. Don’t fret over an answer. Simpler for you to shout RACISTS! or INSURRECTIONIST!
Ron Ogden
November 20, 2021 at 7:22 am
“Florida Democrats cried foul three weeks ago, saying the Republican-controlled Secretary of State’s Office was purging inactive voters from the rolls in unfair ways that trimmed more Democrats than Republicans.”
Oh, these false narratives of fraud in the elections systems being touted by disgruntled supporters of Biden. These are neo-communist threats to “our democracy”. I am sure the Southern Poverty Law Center is getting ready to weigh in with a ripping expose’ that we all will be able to read on WaPo and Times. Hmm?
Evan
November 20, 2021 at 9:13 am
Liberals always seem to find votes in the middle of the night.
Al Haskins
November 20, 2021 at 9:51 am
I suppose then you really upset at the Republicans over their calls of an unfair/fraudulent Presidential election.
Tom
November 20, 2021 at 10:04 am
Yes, it’s totally American to close polling places in multiple Midwest states the night of election and hold counts 4 and 5 days later. All die the cause.
Ocean Joe
November 20, 2021 at 11:10 am
Tom, Florida allows absentee ballots to be tabulated prior to the closing of the polls, other states do not. But of course you already knew that, just as you knew the bloat lost by 7 million votes. So step along, the ice age is over, try to keep up.
Tom
November 21, 2021 at 9:11 am
Did you, can you read river Joe?
I said the Midwest states. Are you delirious. Who mentioned Florida?
Are you mental handicapped?
It’s fact that multiple Midwest states held up the vote. Michigan, Penn, WI.
Ballots showed up mysteriously. Penn. had vote vote counting for days after thanks to corrupt Governor.
Joe, you don’t have a clue. You make general remarks with no substance.
Worry bout self not me you clueless fool. You, H, Alex, others are not in my league.
Ocean Joe
November 21, 2021 at 9:39 am
Tom, while you are agonizing over whether to vote for Trump Jr. or Sr., take a look at this:
https://ballotpedia.org/When_states_can_begin_processing_and_counting_absentee/mail-in_ballots,_2020
Florida starts counting absentees and early votes 10/2, a month out, while the midwestern states start on election day. It makes a difference.
And it would be “mentally handicapped” not “mental handicapped”, if applicable.
Tom
November 21, 2021 at 8:24 pm
River running through u Joe.
U have become lost in your Manchurian mind meld.
You keep on talking bout Florida.
I said Midwest not Florida. Which is a fact.
I am a political scientist. I study electoral politics.
I said the GOP is the party of the middle class. Which is a fact.
You can’t defend anything.
Are you handicapped?
Where are all your Manchurians? I’ve deposed of them all. U are last Manchurian standing.
Btw, the Florida unemployment dropped for 12 straight months.
4.6% unemployment rate.
America’s Governor strikes again.
Impeach Biden
November 21, 2021 at 9:08 am
A special thanks to the following that have helped increase Florida Republican Registration:
Biden, Harris, AOC, Bush, Tlaib, Jayapal, Omar, Waters, Pelosi, Schiff, Jeffries, Nadler, and on and on. Keep up the good work.
Tom
November 21, 2021 at 9:18 am
All of you need to game up.
The FGOP is headed by America’s Governor. He initiated and spent $$$ to engage in old fashioned shoe leather voter registration. That’s why, Period.
No doubt this will lead to bottom up election with Gov Ron coattails sweeping in new elected, GOP majorities.
America’s Governor is king of the hill!
Top of the hill ma!
zhombre
November 21, 2021 at 9:27 am
NPA shows steady growth as well. As do Minor Parties, according to Florida voter reg stats.
https://www.dos.myflorida.com/elections/data-statistics/voter-registration-statistics/voter-registration-reports/voter-registration-by-party-affiliation/
Robert
November 21, 2021 at 9:29 am
The following companies, professional sports support, fund, Joe Biden, the Democrat party, BLM and other far left organizations. Financial BOYCOTT whenever possible the following socialist enablers. Do your part.
Patriots, pass this text along….
*Designates active participant in Biden campaign & BLM.
Amazon
American Airlines
American Express
Apple
AT&T
Bank of America
Baskin Robbins
Best Buy
Calm
Carl’s Jr.
*Capital One
Chase
*Coca-Cola
Dell Technologies
Delta Airlines
Discovery channel
Discovery Plus
Disney
Dunkin Donuts
*ESPN
*Facebook
Fed-Ex
Ford Motor Co.
General Motors
*Google
*Goldman Sachs
IBM
Jack in the Box
JetBlue
Kohls
Little Caesars
*Lowes Hardware
MasterCard
Microsoft
*Modello Beer
*NBA
Nerd Wallet
Netflix
*NFL
Nordstrom
Nurtec
*MLB
Pacifico Beer
Oxygen
*OWN
PayPal
PBS
Peloton
Rocket Mortgage
*Shutterfly
Spectrum
Subway
Starbucks
*State Farm Insurance
*Target Stores
*TNT
Twitter
United Airlines
US Bank
USA today
Vanguard
*Varo Bank
Verizon
ViacomCBS
*Vivint
Walgreens
Wayfair
Wells Fargo
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