Independent Registration Up in California and Montana

• STATE: Partisan trenches (THE PRESS-ENTERPRISE - Riverside CA) New voter registration totals from the secretary of state once again show that the large political parties hold a shrinking share of the electorate, while the number of independent voters continues to grow. Democrats now compose 43.6 percent of the state’s more than 17 million registered voters, while Republicans make up 30.4 percent of voters. But 21.2 percent of registered voters — more than one in five — now identify with no political party.
• Rise of registered Republicans on the Treasure Coast (WPEC - CBS 12 - St. Lucie FL) Many Independent voters are now registering Republican. Voters tell us it's happening so they can weigh in on such an important presidential primary.
• Poll results show Rehberg-Tester Senate race in virtual tie (By ROB CHANEY of the Missoulian) Republicans made up 28 percent of the Montana poll respondents, while 24 percent declared themselves Democrats. A surprising 46 percent said they were "independent or something else," which was the highest total among the mountain states and far above the national average. Utah was the next closest independent state (35 percent), while only 13 percent of Wyoming residents called themselves that.