FACT BRIEF

Has the number of registered Democrats in Pennsylvania declined since 2016?

Sunday, September 13, 2020

By Allegra Taylor

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YES

The number of Pennsylvania voters registered as Democrats has declined by more than 100,000 since November 2016.

As of June 2020, 4,092,693 Pennsylvania voters identified as Democrats, 47.6% of the 8,599,294 registered voters in the state. The number of Democrats registered in November 2016 was 4,217,456, 48.3% of the electorate. Republicans in June accounted for 38.3% of the state’s registered voters, up from 37.8% in 2016.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton lost to President Trump in Pennsylvania by a single percentage point, or about 68,000 votes. Trends in the state have been closely watched ahead of the 2020 vote. The Philadelphia Inquirer notes the Republican inroads predate Trump's 2016 victory; 57 of 67 counties are more Republican than in 2016.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

Pennsylvania Department of State: Voter registration statistics

Politico: 2016 presidential election results

Philadelphia Inquirer: Party voter registration gives Republicans an advantage compared to 2016

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