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Yes and no. Some states require partisan registration to participate in primary elections. Looking at you, Kentucky. Other states have completely open primaries and no ability to maintain a partisan registration. YAY, Georgia! Some states have partisan registration, BUT they allow non-affiliated voters to choose a primary they would like to participate in WITHOUT registering as a partisan. Thank you, Colorado. But if you are willing to register as a partisan and change that registration as you feel is necessary, you can vote anywhere as an independent, except in Indiana. Indiana's election code states: "A voter may vote at a primary election: (1) if the voter, at the last general election, voted for a majority of the regular nominees of the political party holding the primary election; or (2) if the voter did not vote at the last general election, but intends to vote at the next general election for a majority of the regular nominees of the political party holding the primary election; as long as the voter was registered as a voter at the last general election or has registered since then." Is it legally enforceable? No. But it is still on the books.
We've built a tool to help you determine what your state allows. Check out The Independent Center’s state-by-state guide for independent voters.
Yes and No. Independents have more influence in many elections. Elections are getting tighter. There were 43 Congressional elections decided by 5% or less in 2024. Even using the most restrictive definition of “independent” voter suggests 9% of voters have no discernible partisan leanings. Independent Center data suggests the number of independent voters is somewhere in the 40s and climbing. Gallup recorded the number of self-identified independents at 51% -- twice. These voters often decide elections, especially in those 43 tight races. In a world where partisans and partisan lean are almost a 50/50 split, both sides will need to work hard to earn the independent vote to win.
Meanwhile, there are other elections where independents may not have as much influence. Take, for example, the statewide elections in Wyoming or Illinois. Both of these statewide voter bases are highly partisan, and Independents will have about as much influence as the minority party.
Election laws differ by state, but the short of it is, independents can run for office anywhere. The most challenging aspect will be the difficulty for an independent to get on the ballot in any given state. Some states, such as Georgia, are notoriously challenging for ballot access. Others simply require a $50 filing fee and a few sheets of paperwork.
(Keep an eye on our state-by-state guide. We plan to add ballot access information soon).
To borrow from Shirley Chisholm, we independents are unbought and unbossed. Independents are not beholden to a party structure that requires us to vote a party line or pretend to agree with the entire party platform. Instead, independents get to think for themselves and vote their values. Independents do not have a patronage-based party system; instead, the two-party duopoly must court independent voters. Try being an Obama Republican, a Regan Democrat, or a Republican Never Trumper. In this environment of constantly redefined purity tests, you can't be a Republican who voted for Obama or Biden. Consider the amount of criticism Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez received when she voted against student loan forgiveness (see here and here for two examples). Stray a little bit from the party line, and the knives come out. Meanwhile, independents are free to think for themselves—no party boss to force them back in line.
Well, to borrow from Kermit the Frog, it isn't easy being an independent. Neither of the two major parties like us, but they both need us to win elections. Unfortunately, in many states, this dislike of free thinkers leads to closed primaries and high hurdles for independent candidates to access the ballot. This regulatory environment often results in a nonchalant dismissal of an entire group of people, as it's often easier and cheaper to mobilize the base compared to engaging with independent voters.
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