Independents gain voters in December

The conservative Independent American Party was the big winner as the Secretary of State's office tallied the final voter registration numbers for 2009.

From November to December, the party grew by 415 registered voters, finishing the year with 47,112 statewide.

Democrats increased their statewide registration by just 24 voters during December. The total number of active Republicans registered in the state declined by 304. Both major parties, however, have at least 10 times more voters than the IAP.

Registered Nonpartisans decreased by 167 voters.

Those numbers are for voters who cast ballots in the last general elections.

Nevada's county clerks have been moving those who failed to vote in November and failed to confirm they are still Nevadans living at the same address to the inactive list.

Statewide, 191,129 voters have been listed as inactive. Those voters can still vote in the upcoming elections but must affirm that they are still residents.

The year ended with 97,801 fewer active voters than in December 2008, which had 1,237,869 voters.

Altogether, there are 1,331,197 voters registered in Nevada, 1,140,068 listed as active.

Active Democrats declined by more than 50,000 over the past year. Republicans lost nearly 30,000 active voters and Nonpartisans more than 14,000.

In Carson City, total registration is 26,716 with 24,795 listed as active.

Douglas has 32,683 registered, 29,753 active. Lyon County 28,831 and 26,905 respectively. In Churchill, the total registration is 14,308 with 11,717 on the active list.

Finally, tiny Storey County lists 2,755 voters with 2,640 of them on the active roll.

For the curious, detailed statistics by all parties, counties, election district and even age can be found on the Secretary of State's Elections Center Web site at www.nvsos

.gov.