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WEBVTT THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS ARE NEARING AND IT LOOKS LIKE CALIFORNIANS ARE READY TO CAST THEIR BALLOT. >> WE ALREADY HAVE A ABOUT 1.5 BILLION MORE VOTERS REGISTERED TODAY THAN WE DID AT THIS .4 YEARS AGO AND THE LAST GUBERNATORIAL -- POINT FOUR YEARS AGO IN THE LAST GO-BETWEEN ORIOLE ELECTION -- GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION. EDIE: SECRETARY OF STATE ALEX PADILLA SAYS AS OF SEPTEMBER 7, THERE ARE MORE THAN 19 MILLION CALIFORNIANS REGISTERED TO VOTE. THAT’S MORE THAN 75% OF ELIGIBLE CALIFORNIANS, BUT THERE’S STILL A LONG WAY TO GO. >> IF YOU ASK THE AVERAGE VOTER, THEY’RE MAYBE NOT AWARE, MAYBE COULD CALL OUT ONE OR TWO INITIATIVES, SO THERE’S A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE BETWEEN NOW AND ELECTION DAY TO GET UP TO SPEED, TO GET THEM PARTICIPATING. EDIE: LAST WEEK ON NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION DAY SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS PITCHED IN TO GET PEOPLE SIGNED UP. MORE THAN 800,000 PEOPLE REGISTERED ACROSS THE NATION. ANOTHER BOOST COMING FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES. >> VOTER REGISTRATION THROUGH DMV IS PLAYING A BIG PROCESS, NOT JUST FOR NEW REGISTERED VOTERS, POODLE -- PEOPLE WHO WERE ELIGIBLE BEFORE, BUT WE ARE ALSO SEEING A LOT OF PEOPLE UPDATING THE REGISTRATION THROUGH THE DMV. WHEN PEOPLE CHANGE THEIR NAME, THEIR PARTY AFFILIATION, AND MOST COMMONLY THEIR ADDRESS. EDIE: THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAYS MOST VOTERS ARE REGISTERING WITH A NO PARTY PREFERENCE. >> WE ARE SEEING THIS REALLY STRONG CHANGE AND WE CANNOT REALLY SEE JUST FROM THE BASE NUMBERS WHETHER THAT IS BECAUSE VOTERS ARE INCREASINGLY DISILLUSIONED WITH THE POLITICAL PARTIES, OR SIMPLY BECAUSE THE FORM AT THE DMV MAKES IT EASY TO REGISTER AS AN INDEPENDENT. EDIE PADILLA SAYS THERE ARE REASONS WE SEE THIS BUMP IN A NON-PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION YEAR. >> IT’S INDICATIVE OF THE POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT WE LIVE IN. EDIE: TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT SOME OF THE REGISTRATION NUMBERS IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. IN SACRAMENTO NEARLY 74% OF ELIGIBLE VOTERS ARE REGISTERED. IN YOLO COUNTY 72%. PLACER COUNTY 82%. IN SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY 73% ARE REGISTERED. STANISLAUS IS JUST SHY OF 70%. EL DORADO IS 8

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California's voter registration has hit an all-time high ahead of the November election, with more than 19 million people on the voting rolls, Secretary of State Alex Padilla reported Tuesday.Nearly 76 percent of those eligible to vote were registered as of Sept. 7, the largest share in September since the 1996 presidential election, which had 77 percent.Californians are increasingly turning away from political parties and registering as "no party preference" voters, a trend that has gained steam over the past two decades.Republicans and Democrats both saw their ranks shrink between May -- before the June primary election -- and September, while the number of unaffiliated voters rose. Just under 44 percent of registered voters were Democrats, 27 percent were unaffiliated and 25 percent were Republicans.| MORE | Check your voter status hereThe major parties have lost members between May and September in every election cycle since 2002. Still, Democratic registration is up since the 2016 election, while Republican registration is down.Padilla did not offer an explanation for the record number of registered voters but said people can still sign up until Oct. 22.| MORE | Register to vote here"The next step for our registered Californians is turning out to vote," Padilla said in a statement. "The general election is next month, so it's time for voters to make a plan to vote, either in person or by mail."California implemented a program this year that allows voters to register or update their address at the Department of Motor Vehicles.While top-of-the-ticket races for governor and U.S. Senate have been relatively sleepy, California has several hotly contested races being watched nationally that could determine which party controls the U.S. House of Representatives.Nearly 835,000 more people were registered 60 days before the election than two years ago, a sizable jump even though presidential years like 2016 generally see higher levels of engagement. Registration is up by almost 1.5 million people since the last election for governor in 2014.