A closed Republican primary, a weak Democratic Party, and a wide gap between how Idahoans register and how they identify have produced an unusually deep bench of independents.
Every week, Unorganized Territory is talking to voters, with a special focus on the issues, emotions, perceptions and personal challenges shaping their views of the candidates in Maine’s U.S. Senate race, a crucial contest in the battle for control of Congress.
Nearly 90% of House seats are already decided before Election Day, with most contested only in partisan primaries that exclude independent voters and limit meaningful participation to just 9.4% of the voting-age population.
While Rhode Island’s major parties emerge from bruising primaries, Ken Block enters the general election arguing that a state dominated by unaffiliated voters is ready for something beyond partisan politics.
Election reform can open the door to independent candidates. But without donors, data, staff, and campaign infrastructure, most are still starting from zero.
A federal judge blocked mandatory USPS rules for mail ballots through the November election, but the Trump administration is asking the Supreme Court to overturn that decision. Here's what voters need to know about the fast-changing legal battle.
Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand, an independent-turned-Democrat, is running for governor on a platform to replace closed party primaries with an open "people's primary" where all voters can participate regardless of party affiliation.
Missouri's highest court unanimously rejected efforts by state officials to block two ballot measures, ruling voters retain the right to reject a new congressional map and strengthen protections for the citizen initiative process.
With Democrats moving left and Republicans moving right, more and more moderates and independents are left politically homeless. Paul Rieckhoff argues that the future belongs to independent voters, who are close making up a majority in the US.
Maine’s longtime Republican survivor has built her career on independence, local results, and crossover support. In 2026, Trump’s unpopularity, tariffs, and political chaos are making that formula harder to sustain.
