Registration figures show Massachusetts voters continue to abandon two major political parties

By Michael Levenson, Globe Staff

Massachusetts voters continue to abandon the two major political parties, though Democrats still hold a more than 3-to-1 advantage over Republicans, according to new registration figures released today by the Secretary of State’s office.

The shift suggests that while Democrats start with a built-in edge in statewide elections, they have to win over many voters without any allegiance to their party, in order to build a winning coalition.

While the figures released today remained virtually unchanged since February, they show a more substantial shift over the past several years, as the percentage of voters who list themselves as unenrolled in either party topped 50 percent.

Currently, 52.6 percent of the state’s 4.2 million registered voters are unenrolled in either party, up from 50.8 percent in 2008 and 48.8 percent in 2004. About 35.6 percent of voters are registered Democrats, down from 37 percent in 2008 and 37.2 percent in 2004. Republicans also lost followers, dropping to 11.3 percent from 11.6 percent in 2008 and 13 percent in 2004.