Skip to content
Subscribe

Why Are Americans Becoming Independent Voters?

Published:

On Election Day, just 35 of the 435 congressional seats up for election will have a competitive race, with less than half the voting population likely to vote in the 2014 midterm elections.

The cornerstone of our democracy -- elections -- are becoming so utterly predictable that the House of Representatives does not represent the majority of Americans, who are increasingly choosing not to register with either major party.

In fact, 42 percent of likely U.S. voters now self-identify as independent voters, with party registration in key battleground states suffering.

Why are more and more voters becoming independent voters?

"Because I am a citizen of the United States of America, and that trumps being a Democrat or a Republican." - Amy Daniels
"Because I vote for issues and not political parties." - Ivette Ferrer
"Because I have this radical notion that I should voice my own beliefs rather than let my personal opinions be constrained by a party platform." - Dodge Dakota
"Because not one single person in the history of ever has had the exact thoughts and beliefs I do, many similar, but not exact. So how would one party or the other, which is a big group of people with an agenda, have all the views I ever will have." - Josh Dennert
"Because there are usually more than 2 sides of a problem. Isn't it sad that GOP and Democrats won't think outside their parties." - Roger Horvath
"Because I don't like kool-aid." - Elise Hokman
"Because I vote for individuals instead of by party. I've never voted down straight party lines and I have voted for both Dems and Repubs in several different elections. Limiting ourselves to two parties is just expanding the divisiveness and partisanship that we currently have which does not get anything done for the good of the American people." - Crystal Felice
"Because I am an informed voter ... I want to make an informed choice and vote for the right person for the job ..... not the party." - Judy Green
"Options baby, options." - Matt Gross
"I like to make my own decisions, not be told how I should think!" - William E. Hines
"I am pro gun and pro choice." - Rachael Dee
"I believe that each party has good and bad ideals and look for politicians who can work for solutions with any party." - Lee Thomas
"Because I want to vote for people who are concerned about Our Country, and not about getting re-rlected as their first priority!" - Phil Bush
"I have found no home in the Democratic or Republican Party." - Ronald Duane Grace Jr.
"Because I don't like the politics of either party." - Cheryl Comento
"I'm independent minded about everything else. Why not this?" - Thomas Painter
"Because I am finding I have less in common with either party." - Barbara Wilson Stevens
"Tired of the blame game!" - Jordan Briley
"Because it's my right..." - Bob Lambert
"I have always voted  person, not a party." - Carole Janish Wilson

View all responses below:Post by Independent Voter.

Why are you an independent voter?

Adhere to the IVN etiquette

By posting a comment, you agree to adhere to our etiquette rules: No partisan attacks, no personal attacks, substantiate your sources, no self-promotion.

Contact IVN

Questions about this article or our coverage? Send us a message. A free IVN member account is required.

Message sent

Thanks, we’ll review it and get back to you if needed.

Message not sent

Sorry, something went wrong. Please try again.

Sign in to send a message

Messages are tied to your IVN member account. Signing in is free and takes a few seconds.

Contact IVN

Questions about this article or our coverage? Send us a message. A free IVN member account is required.

Message sent

Thanks, we’ll review it and get back to you if needed.

Message not sent

Sorry, something went wrong. Please try again.

Sign in to send a message

Messages are tied to your IVN member account. Signing in is free and takes a few seconds.

Republish this article

Republishing guidelines

Republish IVN articles for free. Independent Voter News articles may be republished online or in print under a Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 license, on these terms:

  1. Credit the author and IVN. Keep the byline ("By Author Name, Independent Voter News") and the attribution note at the end, which links to the original.
  2. Keep the meaning. You may update time and place references and apply your house style. You may trim for length, as long as the cuts don't change the meaning or misrepresent the author. Keep the headline. Mark any additions as your own (for example "Additional reporting by ...").
  3. Translations are welcome. Translate faithfully, add "Translated from English by [your outlet]", and tell us at editor@ivn.us.
  4. Keep the links, including the link to the original article.
  5. Keep the tracking image. The HTML includes a 1-pixel image that counts readers on your page. It collects no personal information.
  6. Photos and illustrations. Images credited to IVN may be used with this article only. Images credited to others (AP, Getty, Unsplash, Wikimedia and so on) stay under their owners' terms. Secure the rights or switch "Include images" off.
  7. Don't sell it. You can't sell our articles or sell ads specifically against them. Your normal site advertising is fine.
  8. No implied endorsement. Don't suggest that IVN or the author endorses you, your candidates or your causes, or that donations to you support IVN.
  9. Keep labels. Opinion or analysis pieces keep that label.
  10. Point search engines to the original. Where your CMS allows, set the canonical URL to the original IVN article.
  11. No bulk or automated republishing, and don't submit our articles to aggregators (Apple News, Google News, MSN) as your own.
  12. Corrections and removals. Update your copy when we correct it, and remove it promptly if we ask. We'll contact you at the email you give us.
  13. Questions or print republication: editor@ivn.us.

IVN staff: fill in who you're inviting above, then create the invite.

Preparing the article

Why Are Americans Becoming Independent Voters?

Choose a format
  • HTML
  • Email HTML
  • Markdown
  • Formatted (.docx)
  • Plain text
  • WordPress blocks
  • PDF
Choose a platform

Photos credited to others need their owners' permission.

To for

Republishing somewhere else? Questions? editor@ivn.us