Just days after the California Secretary of State’s office issued a report showing Republicans losing registrants in the state, the California Republican Party, with the help of State Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, is launching a voter registration drive designed to pump up the number of Republican voters in the state.

For each Republican voter signed up by one of the volunteer organizations chartered with the state Republican Party, Poizner, the state’s second-highest elected Republican and a wealthy businessman, is pledging $3 to the organization – matching the $3 the California Republican Party already provides.

"Republican activists and volunteer clubs are the backbone of our party and are key to developing and expanding the Republican Party in California," said Poizner."Registering new Republican voters, while executing our traditionally successful get out the vote activities, maximizes our opportunities for victory on Election Day."

Kevin Roberts, a spokesman for the California Republican Party, said that, combined with the popularity of Arizona Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign and the unattractiveness of the continuing fighting between Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, Poizner’s funding would help to increase the number of Republicans on voter rolls.

That Poizner, frequently mentioned as a possible 2010 gubernatorial candidate, is helping to subsidize the effort likely comes as welcome news to the state Republican Party, which has been plagued by financial difficulties as of late. The Party started out the year with a $200,000 cash shortfall.

The registration effort starts up on May 1, 2008 and goes through September 1, 2008.

UPDATE:

Bob Mulholland, a Campaign Adviser for the California Democratic Party, slammed the California Republican Party’s newly-announced voter registration effort, writing in an email to PolitickerCA.com that “the bankrupt California Republicans…see Steve Poizner as an easy soft touch to get money from.”

Mulholland also questioned the May 1, 2008 – September 1, 2008 run time Republicans have set up for the program, arguing that over a million Californians will register to vote between September and October 20.

Mulholland then took a shot at Republican presidential candidate John McCain, saying that Californians did not see him as an attractive choice for the commander-in-chief slot.

“…Despite the claims…that they have a good product, McCain is anti-choice; will be 72 this Fall; claims the economy is doing okay; advocates spending another 100 years in Iraq; has no winning strategy for Iraq nor Afghanistan; and has spent the last seven years hugging and kissing Bush Jr. like he is a like a consumer product that will be recalled for flaws,” wrote Mulholland.