Among registered voters in California by party, Democrats lead with 45.27%, Republicans hold 25.22%, and voters with No Party Preference make up 22.34%, according to the California Secretary of State’s Report of Registration dated February 10, 2025.1California Secretary of State. Report of Registration as of February 10, 2025 The remaining share belongs to four smaller qualified parties. Total statewide registration stands at 22,900,896.
The Full Party Breakdown
As of February 10, 2025, California’s 22.9 million registered voters are distributed across six qualified parties and the No Party Preference category:1California Secretary of State. Report of Registration as of February 10, 2025
- Democratic Party: 45.27% (roughly 10.4 million voters)
- Republican Party: 25.22% (roughly 5.8 million voters)
- No Party Preference: 22.34% (roughly 5.1 million voters)
- American Independent Party: 3.91%
- Libertarian Party: 1.02%
- Peace and Freedom Party: 0.62%
- Green Party: 0.48%
The gap between the two major parties runs about 20 percentage points, or roughly 4.6 million voters. That advantage lines up with Democratic supermajorities in the state legislature and the party’s hold on every statewide constitutional office.
How the Numbers Have Shifted
Compared with the October 2023 Report of Registration, the Democratic share has slipped slightly from 46.82% to 45.27%, while Republicans have climbed from 23.90% to 25.22%.2California Secretary of State. Historical Voter Registration Statistics Democratic raw numbers still grew over that period because the overall rolls expanded by nearly 800,000 voters.
No Party Preference has had a longer arc. The share rose from 21.24% in 2012 to 26.74% in 2019, briefly passing Republican registration, before settling back to the low 22% range as Republican numbers recovered.2California Secretary of State. Historical Voter Registration Statistics
What No Party Preference Means When You Vote
No Party Preference, or NPP, is the official California term for registering without a party. For most state and federal offices, it has no effect on your ballot: California uses a top-two open primary where every candidate appears together regardless of party, and the two highest vote-getters move on to the general election.3California Secretary of State. Primary Elections in California
Presidential primaries are the exception. NPP voters receive a nonpartisan ballot that leaves off presidential candidates, unless a party chooses to let NPP voters request its ballot.4California Secretary of State. No Party Preference Information In March 2024, the Democratic, American Independent, and Libertarian parties allowed crossover ballots. The Republican Party did not. Which parties open their ballots can change from cycle to cycle, so check the Secretary of State’s site before a presidential primary.
If You Think You’re Registered “Independent,” Read This
The American Independent Party’s 3.91% share includes a well-documented share of voters who joined by mistake, believing they were marking themselves as independent of any party. The party itself has acknowledged that roughly a third of its registrants may have signed up in error, and outside estimates run higher. In the 2012 presidential race, 88% of AIP registrants voted for someone other than the party’s own candidate.
If your intent is to be unaffiliated, the correct selection on the California registration form is No Party Preference, not American Independent.
How to Check or Change Your Party
You can look up your current registration and party preference through the Secretary of State’s voter status tool at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov. To register for the first time or change your party, use registertovote.ca.gov.5California Secretary of State. Online Voter Registration Paper forms are available by mail and at county elections offices. Changing parties is done simply by re-registering with the new preference; there is no separate change form.
For the June 2, 2026 primary, the registration deadline is May 18, 2026. If you miss it, California’s conditional voter registration program lets you register and cast a provisional ballot in person at a county elections office or polling location from May 19 through Election Day, with your ballot counted once your registration is verified.6California Secretary of State. Key Dates and Deadlines Californians who are 16 or 17 can pre-register, and the registration activates automatically on their 18th birthday.