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Thousands Switch Parties: Is There A Primary Reason?

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By KAREN BRANCH-BRIOSO | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 31, 2007

Updated: 12/31/2007 03:52 pm

TAMPA - The Democratic National Committee voted Aug. 25 to punish Florida for scheduling its Jan. 29 primary earlier than party rules allow, and stripped all its convention delegates.

Since then, 17,808 Hillsborough voters switched political parties, a Tribune analysis of party-switching data shows.

About 2,500 more switched their party affiliation in Pasco County.

Are they upset with the DNC move?

Some may be. Both in Hillsborough and Pasco, more than 600 voters switched out of the Democratic Party.

The national party penalty didn't seem to influence a number of others. In the same period, 4,082 Hillsborough voters switched their party affiliation to Democrat. (As did 751 Pasco voters.)

A similar action by the Republican National Committee – nixing half of Florida's convention delegates – also doesn't seem to have had much impact.

In Hillsborough, 399 voters switched from Republican to something else; 3,417 switched to the GOP.

The growing ranks of independent voters grew even more. From Aug. 25 to Dec. 27, 9,291 Hillsborough voters switched from some other affiliation to "No Party Affiliation."

A couple of thousand had left blank the party affiliation section of their registration.

When that happens, election officials mail a warning: If you don't belong to one of the major parties, you can't vote in a party primary. Those who verify they want no party affiliation – or don't respond – are added to the ranks of the NPAs.

Are you a party-switcher?

Tell us why.

Call reporter Karen Branch-Brioso at (813) 259-7815 or e-mail her at kbranch-brioso@tampatrib.com.

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