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Insightful piece on the role of independents by Thom Reilly, co-director with Jackie Salit of the Center for an Independent and Sustainable Democracy at ASU
“Our findings show that independents have social networks that are structurally different from those of partisans. Specifically, we found that both Democratic and Republican respondents were more likely to frequently talk about politics with independents than with members of the opposing party.”
Read the article in Gathering.Com
On March 7th 2022 Jackie Salit, President of Independentvoting.org and Open Primaries President John Opdycke, interviewed Michael Smerconish, CNN television and radio host, author, lawyer and independent, on the state of the independent voter phenomenon
Watch the video of the discussion
In a recent article published by The Fulcrum, Wayne Griffin, chair of the Independence Party of South Carolina, denounces a bill aimed at abolishing fusion voting in South Carolina and outlines the impact the bill would have if enacted into law:
“Abolishing fusion would hurt the voters of our state, especially those in the African American community. Fusion allows for the building of electoral coalitions that include minor political parties along with the Democrats or Republicans, coalitions that appeal to the fastest growing (and often largest) group of voters: independents.”
“Allen is a leading voice on the crisis in American democracy. And now she has fallen victim to one of its most insidious practices: party control over nominations,” says Independent Voting President Jacqueline Salit in her recent op-ed in the Boston Herald.
Either party could capture the middle if they studied Ross Perot’s 1992 presidential run, writes Independent Voting President Jacqueline Salit in her recent article in The Fulcrum, published November 19, 2021.
“Flash forward to 2021. That third force has not congealed in traditional ways, yet. But independents who were 34 percent of the electorate in 1993 and are 41 percent today are deciding important elections from top to bottom. Isn’t it time for the Democrats — and the Republicans — to study this history and adjust their playbooks accordingly?”
“No one should have to join a political party to be able to vote in the primaries, especially when they’re funded with taxpayer dollars,” said Julia Hemsworth in an article published by the Staten Island Advance (silive.com) on March 23rd, 2021.
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.
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
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.