Rather than turning people away from politics, the contentious battles of the past eight years appear locally to have drawn many to the polls.
The number of people registered to vote has jumped 17 percent in Dutchess and 20 percent in Putnam since 2016, according to data compiled by the state Board of Elections. At the same time, the population of Dutchess and Putnam counties since 2016 has been stable.
Democrats led the charge, with increases of 29 percent in Dutchess, 26 percent in Beacon, 26 percent in Putnam and 33 percent in Philipstown.
Republican registrations jumped 14 percent in Putnam and 7 percent in Dutchess. They fell in Philipstown by 8 percent and in Beacon by 17 percent.
The percentage of independent voters, or those with no party registration, grew by 22 percent in Dutchess and 8 percent in Beacon. In Putnam, they increased by 30 percent countywide and by 16 percent in Philipstown.
The figures below do not include registered voters who did not cast a ballot in the previous two federal elections.
