The number of independent voters has now surpassed the number of registered Democrats in Arizona.

The press release from Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett:

While the number of voters registering with a party designated tas “other” has been on the rise in Arizona, this marks the first time in state history that the total number registered in this category has surpassed the number registered with a recognized party. Furthermore, this denotes the first time in which the total number registered as “Other” has reached one million voters in Arizona.

As of January 1, 2011, the number of voters registered as “Other” totals 1,010,725, a gain of 28,248 since the 2010 General Election voter registration statistics were released. They now account for 31.66% of total registered voters in the state. This registration category consists of voters registered with independent parties or under a party not designated.

Meanwhile, the number of registered Democrats in Arizona now totals 1,008,689. While their total number of registered voters has been surpassed by the “Other” category, the Democrats have added 5,752 voters since the 2010 General Election.

“This is an interesting political shift we’re seeing,” Secretary Bennett mentioned. “Over the last three years, this category of voters has gained about 255,000 registered voters. We’ve been watching this trend for quite some time now, and it’s fascinating to watch where it is headed.”

Republicans gained 10,803 votes since the 2010 General Election and now have a total of 1,142,605 registered voters in the state. Libertarians make up a little less than one percent of the state’s total registration with 24,880, while 5,040 voters are currently registered as members of the Green Party. This puts total voter registration for the state at 3,191,939.

Secretary Bennett stated, “I’m happy to report that even after the General Election has passed, the total number of registered voters has continued to rise in Arizona. We’ve seen over 45,000 new voters register since the General Election and I hope to see this trend continue. We may very well see the number of registered independents eclipse the number of Republicans around the time of the 2012 election.”

The latest voter registration figures compiled by county, congressional district and legislative district are included with this media release. Copies are available at the Secretary of State’s Office on the 7th Floor of the Executive Tower at the State Capitol, by calling (602) 542-8683 or 1-877-THE-VOTE (1-877-843-8683), or online at azsos.gov.