Independent Surge in Swing States


Published: 10 Jul, 2012
1 min read
Key swing states have seen a surge in independent voters, with Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, and North Carolina adding a collective 443,000 independents to their voter demographic. And while the number of voters registering as Republicans steadily increases, Democrats have seen a decline in the number of voters registering with their party.
Why? Voters are frustrated.
“Independents are really just fed up with both parties. Most elections are about the center and that’s where the swing vote is going to come from.” - Michelle Diggles, senior policy analyst with the Democratic-leaning Third Way research group in Washington.
When surveyed, independent voters found both the Republican and Democratic Parties as unfavorable. An independent voter from New Hampshire explained,
“I just want to be able to have the freedom to pick the right person to do the right things for the country.”
What's your reason for registering independent?
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