An updated total of registered voters became available on Monday, and Democrats cut substantially into the Republicans’ lead, while Independents and other affiliations continue to grow their representation in Luzerne County.
A total of 209,132 county residents are eligible to vote in the upcoming Nov. 3 general election, according to the state’s latest voter registration statistics posted on Monday.
The tally does not yet include applications submitted on Monday’s registration deadline.
As it stands, the county’s registration breakdown is: Republicans, 90,816; Democrats, 86,424; and no affiliation or other affiliations, 31,892.
Republicans maintain a 4,392-registration lead over Democrats.
The county’s registration officially flipped from a Democratic to Republican majority in September 2024, after years of steady shrinking in the gap between the two parties.
The count of those not registered to either major party has also been increasing in the county.
For broad comparison, the county had 204,548 registered voters in the most recent midterm, the November 2022 general election.
The changes from that past snapshot reading to the present figures:
• Republicans gained 6,570.
• Those not registered to either major party increased by 4,788.
• Democrats decreased 6,774.
Using a shorter time period as a gauge — last year’s November general election — Republicans saw a slight decline, while the other two groups gained registered voters.
During this span, Democrats added 2,307, while those not in either party added 1,911. Republican registrations decreased by 280.
Retired Wilkes University political science professor Tom Baldino said Monday the growth in those not registered as Democrats or Republicans indicates “more people are showing dissatisfaction with both parties and don’t want to commit to one party or the other.”
“They’re willing to put aside their ability to vote in a primary for the opportunity to make a statement on their independence from both parties,” he said, referring to Pennsylvania’s closed primary elections.
This increase in other or no affiliations is occurring statewide and also in many states, Baldino said.
While this group makes up only 15.25% of the county’s overall registration, Baldino said it can sway outcomes, particularly if the majority of Democrats and Republicans stick with candidates from their own party.
The gap between Republicans and Democrats is “not that wide,” he said, meaning those not loyal to either party may cast the deciding votes.
“In a close election, they can be very important. Because both parties are so intensely divided, it may fall to the independents to determine the outcome in very close elections,” Baldino said.