SACRAMENTO (AP) — The secretary of state’s office reports that more than 17 million Californians are registered to vote ahead of the November presidential election, or nearly 73 percent of those who are eligible to cast a ballot.

The report issued Friday by Secretary of State Debra Bowen shows the number of unaffiliated voters continues to grow. More than one in five, or 3.7 million voters, have chosen no party preference.

Bowen’s office says Republican registration continues to decline and is just barely over 30 percent. About 7.5 million voters are registered Democrats, or 43.3 percent, compared with nearly 44 percent in the November 2008 presidential election.

The rolls could see a spike before the Oct. 22 registration deadline after California this week launched its first online voter registration program.

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