It’s time to recognize the power of independent voters.

“We are at something of an inflection point,” says Independent Voting President Jacqueline Salit in an article published today by U.S. News and World Report. But while the power of independents in America’s two-party system is growing, independents believe the system needs to change. Says Open Primaries President John Opdycke, “People who are going independent are not looking for a third party. They’re looking for an end to party politics.”

Read the full article here.

In an op-ed published by the Times Union, Open Primaries’ John Opdycke and Jeremy Gruber detail how New York State’s antiquated, exclusionary voter laws have led to some of the lowest voter turnout in the country and how open primaries would open the doors to greater participation.

Read the article here.

On Thursday, January 14th, The Fulcrum published a commentary by Independent Voting President Jacqueline Salit on the events that took place at the capitol building on January 6th.

You can read the article here: https://thefulcrum.us/big-picture/independent-voters-2340986

On November 19th, FixUS hosted a virtual public event featuring leaders and experts on political reform (including Independent Voting President Jacqueline Salit) discussing what specific reforms were on the ballot, how it went, lessons learned, and implications going forward. Watch the full conversation in the video below.

 

Open Primaries just published a must-read report on the projected increase in the number of independent voters titled The Next Great Migration: The Rise of Independent Voters. The report also documents the barriers that unaffiliated voters face and chronicles the little-known history of voter registration laws. Independent Voting has consistently called on the reform and research communities to explore these crucial issues and we thank Open Primaries for assembling this groundbreaking report.

Read the report here.

In her post-election briefing, Independent Voting President Jackie Salit provides a snapshot of independents’ role in the 2020 election and plans ahead for driving a new agenda.

“We’re just at the beginning of the process of shaping and reshaping the political landscape in this country. Independents were the margin in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia, Wisconsin, and close to the margin in the popular vote. This story is not just about the outcome of one particular election – changing trends in American political life and a new force that’s banging on the door of partisan politics and saying ‘we have got to find a way to do things differently.’”

Watch the full conversation below:

 

On November 13^th, The Fulcrum published an article on just how much independent voters contributed to President-Elect Joe Biden’s margin of victory.

“Americans not aligned with either major party favored Joe Biden for president by 13 percentage points, exit polls show. It’s the biggest margin among independents in more than three decades. That’s welcome evidence to those who perceive American democracy’s problems as largely rooted in the major-party duopoly, and who say the system will work better if independents are awarded more political influence.”

Read the full article here.

On November 11^th, USA Today published an article profiling voters who went to the polls and purposely left their pick for president blank – an act known as an “undervote.” Independent Voting President Jacqueline Salit is quoted in the article in relation to the outspoken nature of this act. Salit said “People just saw this election as an opportunity to make a statement about the direction of the country.”

Read the full article here.

On November 10th, Independent Voter News published an article that touched on a powerful truth of the 2020 elections – there wasn’t a red or blue wave, there was an independent wave. Independent Voting President Jacqueline Salit is quoted in the article, saying:

“Independents are a volatile community of voters. They elected two successive ‘outsider’ presidents, in the hopes of establishing a new direction, something other than the status quo. In this cycle, they elected a consummate insider who says he can bring unity and balance to government in a time of crisis. Their impact was huge,” said Independent Voting President Jackie Salit. “But no one should interpret this vote as a pledge of party allegiance. If anything, it’s a vote that says, ‘get us out of this partisan sinkhole.’”

Read the full article here.