Democratic ranks swell in Pennsylvania

(CNN) - Nearly 79,000 Pennsylvanians registered as Democrats last Monday, the state’s deadline for those looking to participate in the April 22 primary.

A near-majority of the Pennsylvania electorate is now Democratic – just over 4 million of the greater than 8 million voters in the state. Fewer than two in five are Republican.

The one-day total includes more than 33,000 new voters and nearly 46,000 Republicans and Independents who switched their registration to the party, according to reports released Monday by the Pennsylvania Secretary of State.

By comparison, around 7,800 Pennsylvanians became Republicans during the same period, including 6,000 new registrants and roughly 1,800 party-switchers.

In all, 132,000 of the state’s voters have switched their registrations to the Democratic Party since January 1, while just 14,000 have moved to Republican rolls. Roughly 102,000 new voters have registered as Democrats since the beginning of this year; around 33,000 have become Republican.

Those numbers may rise, as registrations submitted before the March 24 deadline continue to be processed.

–CNN Associate Political Editor Rebecca Sinderbrand