Political debates in the U.S. are often dominated by Republican and Democratic voices, but what’s missing are the millions of Americans who choose not to align with either party. A September Gallup poll found that 43% of American adults consider themselves independent. That’s more than either Republicans (30%) or Democrats (24%), and one of the highest percentages since Gallup started tracking affiliation.
So, where are these independent voters? 31 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands report the political affiliations of their registered voters. 35.3 million adults registered as independent voters in these states. Here are the states where independent voters make up the largest percentage of the electorate as of October 2022:
- Arkansas -- [87.94%]
- Massachusetts -- [60.17%]
- Alaska -- [58.08%]
- Colorado -- [45.99%]
- Rhode Island -- [45.48%]
- Connecticut -- [41.58%]
- New Hampshire -- [39.09%]
- North Carolina -- [35.47%]
- Oregon -- [34.71%]
Research shows that these voters, and millions of additional independent voters in other states, often have the potential to swing elections one way or another and that there are more of them than ever before. Says political scientist Christopher Cooper: “Voters are signaling something to us…[choosing nonpartisanship] is a way to express dissatisfaction with the two major parties.”
