79,000 Pennsylvania voters sign up as Democrats on final day of registration

(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 registered Democratic - just over 4 million of the greater than 8 million voters in the state. Fewer than 2 in 5 are Republican.

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

By comparison, around 7,800 Pennsylvanians became Republicans last week, including 6,000 new registrants and roughly 1,800 party-switchers.