Record 19.4 million Californians registered to vote

A record 19.4 million Californians are registered to vote in Tuesday’s general election, up from 18.2 million in 2012, according to the office of California Secretary of State Alex Padilla.

Padilla said more than 78 percent of eligible Californians are registered:

“This also represents the highest percentage of eligible California citizens registered to vote heading into a general election in 20 years.”

He added:

“Our office has partnered with local elections officials, businesses, community groups and even professional sports teams throughout California to help a record number of Californians register to vote.”

Over 8.7 million voters registered as Democrats, constituting 44.9 percent of registered voters in the state, up from 43.7 percent in 2012.

More than 5 million voters registered Republican, or 26 percent of voters, down from 29.4 percent in 2012.

Over 4.7 million California voters registered with no party preference, or 24 percent of voters. In 2012, fewer than 21 percent of voters registered with no party preference.

Almost 20 percent of registered voters are over 65. Fewer than 14 percent of registered voters are under 25, Padilla said:

“Reminders from social media networks and the popularity of online voter registration also helped fuel this year’s voter registration surge.”