Voting & Party Enrollment Statistics
Long Island’s political landscape is defined by competition, local variation, and a large bloc of voters who are not enrolled in either major party. Across Nassau and Suffolk Counties, the latest New York State Board of Elections enrollment data shows more than 2.2 million registered voters. Democrats remain the largest single enrollment group, Republicans remain close behind, and voters outside the two major parties account for roughly one-third of the electorate.
This page provides the latest voter enrollment data available from the New York State Board of Elections, broken down by party category and county, with context to help explain what the numbers mean for Long Island politics. Enrollment data is not the same as election results, but it offers a useful snapshot of the region’s registered voter base and shows why Long Island is often treated as a competitive political region.
Region covered: Nassau County & Suffolk County (Long Island, New York)
Data date: February 20, 2026
Source: New York State Board of Elections – Voter Enrollment by County, Party Affiliation and Status
Key Facts & Details
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Geographic Area | Long Island: Nassau County & Suffolk County |
| As-of Date | February 20, 2026 |
| Total Registered Voters – Long Island | 2,201,514 |
| Democratic Enrollment – Long Island | 772,783 voters, about 35.1% |
| Republican Enrollment – Long Island | 680,142 voters, about 30.9% |
| Other / Unaffiliated – Long Island | 748,589 voters, about 34.0% Includes Conservative, Working Families, “Other,” and Blank / no-party voters. |
| Main Takeaway | Long Island remains closely divided by party enrollment, with Democrats holding a modest numerical edge, Republicans maintaining strong numbers, and non-Democratic/non-Republican voters forming roughly one-third of the electorate. |
Party Enrollment by County (February 20, 2026)
The table below shows party enrollment for Nassau and Suffolk Counties using counts from the New York State Board of Elections. Percentages are calculated from the official county totals and rounded to one decimal place.
| Region | Total Registered Voters | Democrats | Republicans | Other / Unaffiliated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nassau County | 1,068,308 | 401,733 (≈37.6%) | 323,924 (≈30.3%) | 342,651 (≈32.1%) |
| Suffolk County | 1,133,206 | 371,050 (≈32.7%) | 356,218 (≈31.4%) | 405,938 (≈35.8%) |
| Long Island Total | 2,201,514 | 772,783 (≈35.1%) | 680,142 (≈30.9%) | 748,589 (≈34.0%) |
Note: “Other / Unaffiliated” combines all voters who are not enrolled as Democrat or Republican. In this page, that category includes Conservative Party voters, Working Families Party voters, voters listed as “Other,” and Blank / no-party voters. It should not be read as only unaffiliated voters.
Detailed Enrollment Breakdown
The New York State Board of Elections reports enrollment by individual party categories. The table below shows the major categories used in the February 20, 2026 county enrollment report.
| Party / Status | Nassau County | Suffolk County | Long Island Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | 401,733 | 371,050 | 772,783 |
| Republican | 323,924 | 356,218 | 680,142 |
| Conservative | 10,296 | 21,675 | 31,971 |
| Working Families | 2,633 | 4,415 | 7,048 |
| Other | 26,687 | 29,680 | 56,367 |
| Blank / No Party | 303,035 | 350,168 | 653,203 |
| Total Registered Voters | 1,068,308 | 1,133,206 | 2,201,514 |
What “Independent” Means in New York
When people on Long Island say they are “independent,” they usually mean they are not officially enrolled in either the Democratic or Republican Party. In official voter enrollment reports, however, that can mean different things depending on how a voter is listed.
- Blank / No Party / Unaffiliated: Voters who did not choose a party when they registered. These voters can vote in general elections, but New York’s party primaries are generally closed to voters who are not enrolled in the party holding the primary.
- Minor Party Voters: Voters enrolled in parties other than the Democratic or Republican parties, such as the Conservative Party or Working Families Party. These voters are affiliated with a party, even though they are outside the two major parties.
- “Other” Category: A Board of Elections category used for voters outside the listed major party columns and Blank / no-party category.
Historically, New York also had an Independence Party, which sometimes confused voters who thought enrolling in that party meant they were registering as unaffiliated or independent. For purposes of this page, the “Other / Unaffiliated” group is best understood as a broad category of voters who are not enrolled as Democrats or Republicans.
Long Island in the Statewide Context
New York State as a whole continues to show Democrats as the largest party enrollment group. Long Island is different from many parts of New York City and some other downstate areas because the two major parties are much closer in enrollment, especially when Nassau and Suffolk are viewed together.
- Democrats: The largest single enrollment group on Long Island, at about 35.1% of registered voters.
- Republicans: Close behind, at about 30.9% of registered voters.
- Other / Unaffiliated: About 34.0% of the electorate, making this broad group central to understanding competitive elections.
Nassau County has a larger Democratic enrollment advantage than Suffolk County, while Suffolk has a larger share of voters outside the two major parties. Suffolk also has slightly more registered voters overall than Nassau.
Why Party Enrollment Matters — And Its Limits
Party enrollment data is useful because it shows the underlying registration structure of a region’s voter base. On Long Island, the numbers help explain why many countywide, congressional, legislative, and statewide races are closely watched.
- No single category dominates the region’s voter rolls.
- Democrats have a numerical enrollment edge, but Republicans remain highly competitive.
- A large non-Democratic/non-Republican category means many voters are outside the two major party enrollment columns.
- County-level enrollment differences help explain why Nassau and Suffolk can behave differently in local, state, and federal races.
However, party enrollment is not the same as election results. Actual outcomes depend on turnout, candidate strength, local issues, campaign spending, national political conditions, ballot lines, and which voters participate in a particular election.
How These Numbers Were Calculated
The figures on this page come from the New York State Board of Elections’ official county enrollment data for voters registered as of February 20, 2026. The report provides county-level totals by party affiliation and status.
- Democratic and Republican counts are shown directly from the official report.
- Other / Unaffiliated is calculated by adding Conservative, Working Families, Other, and Blank / no-party categories.
- Long Island totals are calculated by adding Nassau County and Suffolk County together.
- Percentages are calculated by dividing each category by the total number of registered voters in that county or in the combined Long Island total.
| Category | Nassau County | Suffolk County | Long Island Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Registered Voters | 1,068,308 | 1,133,206 | 2,201,514 |
| Democrats | 401,733 | 371,050 | 772,783 |
| Republicans | 323,924 | 356,218 | 680,142 |
| Other / Unaffiliated | 342,651 | 405,938 | 748,589 |
Percentages are rounded to one decimal place for readability.
Long Island Party Enrollment by Percentage
The table below shows how Long Island’s registered voters are divided among the major enrollment categories used on this page.
| Category | Percentage of Long Island Voters | Raw Enrollment |
|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 35.1% | 772,783 |
| Republicans | 30.9% | 680,142 |
| Other / Unaffiliated | 34.0% | 748,589 |
Nassau vs. Suffolk: Party Enrollment Comparison
Although both counties are politically competitive, voter enrollment patterns show meaningful differences between Nassau and Suffolk.
| Party / Category | Nassau County | Suffolk County |
|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 37.6% | 32.7% |
| Republicans | 30.3% | 31.4% |
| Other / Unaffiliated | 32.1% | 35.8% |
Note: Percentages are based on registered voter enrollment as of February 20, 2026, from the New York State Board of Elections.
Using This Page as a Reference
This page is intended to serve as a reference hub for voter enrollment and civic statistics on Long Island:
- Residents and journalists can quickly see how the electorate is divided by party enrollment.
- Students and researchers can use the numbers as a starting point for deeper analysis of voting patterns, turnout, and demographic trends.
- Local organizations can understand how voter enrollment differs between Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
As the New York State Board of Elections updates its enrollment reports, this page should be revised to reflect new totals and shifting enrollment patterns across Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
Data Sources & Updates
Data Last Updated: June 2026.
The voter enrollment information presented on this page is compiled from official and public election sources, primarily the New York State Board of Elections and its Enrollment by County reports. The figures on this page use the Board of Elections county enrollment snapshot for voters registered as of February 20, 2026. Data is reviewed periodically and updated as new county enrollment reports, voter registration files, and official election statistics become available.
Because voter enrollment statistics are point-in-time snapshots, totals can change as voters register, move, become inactive, change party enrollment, or update their registration status. Party enrollment data should not be treated as a prediction of election results. Turnout, candidate quality, local issues, district boundaries, and election-year conditions can all produce results that differ from enrollment patterns.
