Share of Americans identifying as independents at record high
- 43% of U.S. adults now identify as independents, tying the record in 2014
- The share identifying as Democrat is at its lowest level in 35 years
- Independents are slightly more likely to lean Republican than Democrat
A “voter” flag waves in the wind near a ballot drop box outside of the Mason County auditors office on Oct. 1 3, 2022, in Shelton, Wash. The U.S. does not have a singular entity that tells the nation who is won an election right away. Every state has its own process for counting votes, and news organizations play a key role. The Associated Press is the only news organization in the world that does all of the nation’s vote-counting math on election night. (AP Photo/John Froschauer, File)
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(NewsNation) — More Americans are turning away from the two major political parties and the share of independents tied a record high in 2023, according to new research from Gallup.
Independents make up the largest voting bloc in the country with 43% of U.S. adults identifying that way last year, up 4 points from 2020 and matching the previous high in 2014.
Meanwhile, the share of adults who consider themselves Democrats has fallen to its lowest level in 35 years. Just 27% of Americans identify with the Democratic Party, down three points from 2020.
“Democratic identification has now declined by one point in each of the past three years. These declines, and the new low registered in 2023, are likely tied to President Joe Biden’s unpopularity,” Gallup senior editor Jeffrey Jones wrote.
But Republicans aren’t faring much better. The GOP also has only 27% of voters who identify with the party, Gallup found.
However, more independents now lean Republican than Democrat. In the three decades before 2022, Democrats consistently held the advantage among independents. That’s no longer the case.
Americans are also more likely to identify as conservative (36%) or moderate (36%) than liberal (25%), although that has been the case every year since 1992. In fact, liberal identification has risen over the past decade. Democrats are significantly more likely to call themselves liberal (53%) today compared to 2013 (43%).
Nearly three-quarters of Republicans, 73%, identify as conservative, which is also up over the long-term, Gallup noted.
The share of independents is expected to fall in 2024 as is typically the case during a presidential election year but that group will likely remain the largest voting bloc.
“In what is expected to be a close election contest, it is critical for each party, but especially Democrats, to nominate a candidate who can appeal to independent voters,” Jones wrote.
