Independent Surge in Swing States

image
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?

You Might Also Like

Ballrooms, Ballots, and a Three-Way Fight for New York
Ballrooms, Ballots, and a Three-Way Fight for New York
The latest Independent Voter Podcast episode takes listeners through the messy intersections of politics, reform, and public perception. Chad and Cara open with the irony of partisan outrage over trivial issues like a White House ballroom while overlooking the deeper dysfunctions in our democracy. From California to Maine, they unpack how the very words on a ballot can tilt entire elections and how both major parties manipulate language and process to maintain power....
30 Oct, 2025
-
1 min read
California Prop 50 gets an F
Princeton Gerrymandering Project Gives California Prop 50 an 'F'
The special election for California Prop 50 wraps up November 4 and recent polling shows the odds strongly favor its passage. The measure suspends the state’s independent congressional map for a legislative gerrymander that Princeton grades as one of the worst in the nation....
30 Oct, 2025
-
3 min read
bucking party on gerrymandering
5 Politicians Bucking Their Party on Gerrymandering
Across the country, both parties are weighing whether to redraw congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Texas, California, Missouri, North Carolina, Utah, Indiana, Colorado, Illinois, and Virginia are all in various stages of the action. Here are five politicians who have declined to support redistricting efforts promoted by their own parties....
31 Oct, 2025
-
4 min read