Voter Registration is a Measure of Party Health
It is often said that things that are measured matter. Look at voter registration numbers county by county, and patterns emerge.
A PARTY IN DECLINE
According to the Secretary of State voter registration data, Democratic voter registration is down not just relative to Republican registrations but also in actual numbers. Generally, a presidential election year is our peak, and then we decline yearly until a spike with the next presidential election. It takes a tremendous amount of resources to facilitate that spike, and even with the spike, we still see a decline since the last presidential election. To be clear: there were fewer registered Democrats in Idaho at the end of 2024 than at the end of 2020.
NEWLY ACTIVE COUNTIES
The introduction of any increase in county organizing tends to lift Democratic voter totals in that county. Some of our highest growth in the recent cycle came from recently activated counties. However, not all newly active counties grew. Growth depended largely on how well-resourced (in both volunteers and financial) the county was.
What Can We Do?
We know that there is a cycle that includes a natural decline. How do we minimize the decline? How do we encourage a net increase?
First, we must give people a reason to join us. Individuals are begging for action across our state. They want to take a stand. They are looking for a community to belong to. We need to engage more fully with voters so they find that community with us. While our numbers are declining, groups like Indivisible and Save Our Schools are growing. These groups focus on issues voters are passionate about. During summer 2024, we succeeded with Library Day of Action events. These events put Democrats front and center with issues important to local voters. We could be leading the charge on these issues, raising our visibility, and attracting voters. We could be mobilizing a Days of Action for Medicaid or public education. We know these are winning issues, and we must communicate our commitment to these issues to the public.
Second, we must evaluate our voter registration trends. We must review the data and understand who we are losing and why. Only then can we put together county-specific programs to rebuild and increase the number of registered Democratic voters.
Third, we should focus on registering previously unengaged voters, adding them to the rolls. We have relatively low voter registration in Idaho. Some districts have less than 50% of eligible voters registered.
Supporting county voter registration efforts is a win-win situation for our party. It allows us to improve our voter base and helps build stronger county parties with more people willing and able to become involved.