Dallas City News

Luzerne County Republican Party Chairman Gene Ziemba said he has full confidence the county voter registration majority will soon switch from blue to red, possibly by next week.

The latest Pennsylvania voter registration statistics released Tuesday show the county has 87,179 Democrats and 86,839 Republicans — a difference of 340.

This is striking compared to the registration domination once held by Democrats. For example, the gap between the two parties was 47,669 in 2011.

However, a shift has been in the making for years. Area political professors have largely attributed the steady Republican rise to an aging county population that is becoming more conservative.

Ziemba, who was elected the new county Republican Party chairman in July, said he has been carrying out his promise to increase voter registration and turnout.

Party workers and volunteers have made a concerted effort to interact with residents and encourage them to register to vote for the first time as Republicans or change their existing registration to Republican, he said.

“I believe in reaching the entire community. We’ve been moving the needle with about 200 registrations a week,” Ziemba said. “All hands are on deck.”

The party will have a strong presence at the Luzerne County Fair in coming days, which he believes will “push us over the top.”

County Democratic Chairman Thomas Shubilla said the registration gap has been shrinking for years.

“Obviously, it’s not a trend that I like. It’s something that needs to be worked on on our end,” Shubilla said.

He expects a more organized push to boost Democratic registrations after the Nov. 5 general election. The primary emphasis at this time is getting existing party voters to cast ballots in the general election, he said.

“I’m dedicated and motivated to getting our voters to the polls and making sure they turn out,” Shubilla said.

He also believes many young voters are supportive of Democratic platforms but registering independent because they “don’t want a party label.”

The county currently has 28,381 voters not registered as Republicans or Democrats, with most choosing no affiliation, state statistics show.

Oct. 21 is the last day to register to vote in the Nov. 5 general.

Four years ago

The county’s voter registration profile was markedly different in the last presidential general election four years ago.

A total 220,888 county residents were registered to vote in the Nov. 3, 2020, general election, state statistics show.

That means there are now 18,489 fewer voters overall because the current total county voter count is 202,399.

In 2020, the county had 106,361 registered Democrats, or 19,182 more than today.

There were 86,369 Republicans four years ago, or 470 less than today.

Finally, a total 28,158 voters of other or no affiliation were registered in the county in 2020, or 223 less than today.

What happened?

Mandatory purging was a major contributor to the registration decrease since 2020.

In June 2021, the county purged 17,420 voters from its registration due to inactivity.

The county election bureau completed that purge in response to a push from Judicial Watch Inc., a conservative, non-partisan educational foundation. County officials said at the time a blanket purge had not been completed since the county switched to a home rule government structure in 2012.

Both county political parties took a hit in that purge, with Democrats losing 9,413 voters and Republicans reduced by 4,929. The number of voters unaffiliated or with other registrations decreased by 3,281.

Ongoing maintenance of voter records continues, officials said.

Those who do not respond to bureau notifications about reported address changes are purged if they fail to present their correct proof of address and do not vote after two federal elections have passed, officials have said.

The state’s voter registration reports include a tab showing the number of voters currently marked inactive — a precursor to possible removal after the general election — because they have not responded to a county election bureau notice.

• Democrats: 78,385 active/8,794 inactive

• Republicans: 81,167 active/5,672 inactive

• Non-affiliated/other: 24,298 active/4,083 inactive

County Election Director Emily Cook said the inactive voters can cast a ballot at the polls on Nov. 5 if they complete an affirmation providing required information.

Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.