California voter registration reaches highest point in 68 years
A record 20,921,513 people in California are registered to vote ahead of the 2020 presidential election.
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- More people in California are registered to vote than have been in nearly seven decades, according to the Secretary of State's office.
As of July 3, 20,921,513 people in California were registered. That's 83.5% of eligible residents - "the highest percentage heading into a general election in the past 68 years," according to the Secretary of State's report.
About 46% are registered Democrats, 24% are Republicans, 24% are registered as "no party preference," and just under 6% are members of other parties.
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In July 2016, before the last presidential election, 72.9% of eligible voters in the state were registered.
The Secretary of State's office didn't identify a specific reason for the jump in registered voters, but one possible reason is the state now automatically registers eligible people when they visit the DMV, unless they choose to opt out. That change has been linked to jumps in voter rolls in several states, NPR reports.
In California, the deadline to register to vote online or by mail is 15 days before the election. This year that means the deadline is on Oct. 19.
You can register online here.
