http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/iowa-politics-insider/2015/05/15/democratic-voters-numbers-drop-iowa/27394899/Voter registration statistics with the Iowa Secretary of State's office show a sharp drop in the ranks of Iowa voters registered as Democrats, while the number of Republican voters is about the same.
In May 2011, Iowa Democrats held an edge in voter registration with 645,899 voters, while Republicans had 609,365 voters and there were 696,696 no-party voters.
In May 2015, Iowa Democrats' voter registration rolls have dropped to 585,178, a loss of more than 60,000 voters that represents a decline of 9.4 percent. Meanwhile, the number of registered Republicans is holding firm at 609,042, while the number of no-party voters has increased to 703,208.
Democrats say that the decline in voter registration isn't a sign of voter unhappiness with their party. They say competitive party primaries help to drive voter registration and Iowa Democrats haven't had a competitive statewide primary since 2008, while Republicans had a competitive U.S. Senate primary in 2014 and there have been intense Iowa caucus presidential races on the GOP side since 2008 as well.
Democrats also note that when the Iowa Secretary of State removes inactive voters from the voting rolls, Democrats generally lose more voters than Republicans because they tend to be younger, more transient men and women.
Ben Foecke, executive director of the Iowa Democratic Party, said in a statement, "What will make the difference this upcoming election is the choice Iowans face between Democratic candidates, who fight for an economy that works for all Iowa families and want to continue moving this country forward, and Republicans who want to take us back to the failed policies of the past that benefit the wealthy few. We are confident the Democratic message will appeal to more Iowans and lead us to victories up and down the ballot."
"The Republican Party is coming off one of our most successful election cycles in decades, fueled by a healthy discussion and debate within our Party," Iowa GOP spokesman Charlie Szold said in an email. "We expect our voter registration advantage to continue growing as we begin our Caucus cycle with the most vibrant and diverse field of candidates ever. Meanwhile, the Democrats have once again settled on a coronation, this time for Hillary Clinton."
