New Survey: 6 in 10 Democrats Considering Third Party Options

image
Published: 21 Jun, 2017
Updated: 17 Oct, 2022
2 min read

A new survey by icitizen points to a clear opening for third-party candidates in future elections.

The online survey found that not only do 7 in 10 respondents not feel represented by the Republican or Democratic Parties, and that a third party is needed, but 6 in 10 Democratic respondents are considering voting for a third party candidate in 2020.

That is huge considering only 29 percent of Republican respondents said the same.

The wounds are clearly still fresh in the Democratic Party after the DNC tilted the presidential primary in Hillary Clinton's favor over U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, were unwelcoming to non-traditional Democratic voters (i.e. Sanders progressives, independent and third-party voters, etc.), and now struggle to find a message they can win with.

ALSO READ: DNC to Court: We Are a Private Corporation With No Obligation to Follow Our Rules

It seems like many Democratic voters are looking for the lifeboats right now, and that could be good news for third-party candidates.

Here are some other key findings from the survey:

  • "68% of Democrats, 82% of Independents and over half (54%) of Republicans believe a “third party is necessary” to represent Americans’ political views."
  • "Fully 69% of Americans reported that they would be interested in the establishment of a new political party to serve as a viable alternative to the two-party system (29% not interested, 2% unsure)."
  • "Democrats (75%) and Independents (81%) are among the most interested in the establishment of a new party."
  • "Over half (53%) of Americans believe that including a third party in Congress, so that no party had a majority, would help lawmaking in the U.S. (21% obstruct lawmaking; 19% does not make a difference; 7% unsure)."

IVP Donate

“Poll results suggest that an overall majority of Americans, including Democrats and Republicans, are looking for more representation of Americans’ views and are likely to give a third party candidate a chance in 2020,” said Cynthia Villacis, Director of Polling at icitizen.

Check out the full survey results here.

Latest articles

CA capitol building dome with flags.
Why is CA Senator Mike McGuire Trying to Kill the Legal Cannabis Industry?
California’s legal cannabis industry is under mounting pressure, and in early June, state lawmakers and the governor appeared poised to help. A bill to freeze the state’s cannabis excise tax at 15% sailed through the State Assembly with a unanimous 74-0 vote. The governor’s office backed the plan. And legal cannabis businesses, still struggling to compete with unregulated sellers and mounting operating costs, saw a glimmer of hope....
03 Jul, 2025
-
7 min read
I voted buttons
After First RCV Election, Charlottesville Voters Back the Reform: 'They Get It, They Like It, They Want to Do It Again'
A new survey out of Charlottesville, Virginia, shows overwhelming support for ranked choice voting (RCV) following the city’s first use of the system in its June Democratic primary for City Council. Conducted one week after the election, the results found that nearly 90% of respondents support continued use of RCV....
03 Jul, 2025
-
3 min read
Crowd in Time Square.
NYC Exit Survey: 96% of Voters Understood Their Ranked Choice Ballots
An exit poll conducted by SurveyUSA on behalf of the nonprofit better elections group FairVote finds that ranked choice voting (RCV) continues to be supported by a vast majority of voters who find it simple, fair, and easy to use. The findings come in the wake of the city’s third use of RCV in its June 2025 primary elections....
01 Jul, 2025
-
6 min read