Republicans saw a larger number of voters identify with the party at the end of 2021 when compared to the start of the year, while fewer voters identified with Democrats, according to Gallup surveys. Republicans started the year with 40 percent of those surveyed identifying as “Republican” or “lean Republican,” down 9 percent from voters who identified with the left. However, as the year wore on, more voters began identifying with the right while a lower number identified as “Democrat” or “lean Democrat.” By the end of the year, 47 percent of voters surveyed identified with the right, compared to 42 percent who identified with the left. The remaining voters identified as a “non-leaning independent.” The results, published by Gallup on Monday, were drawn from all phone surveys the polling firm conducted during the year, including interviews with more than 12,000 American adults. The last time Republicans held a five-point …