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What You Need to Know about Independents in 2012: The number of registered Independents has increased since 2008 in many of the battleground states that will decide the 2012 election.  Democratic registration fared worse relative to both Republican and Independent registration between 2008 and 2011. Republican registration gained relative to Democratic registration between 2008 and 2011.  Based on the combination of this general trend and the rise in both registration and self-identification of Independents since 2008, the most likely scenario for 2012 is that Independents will make up a bigger portion of the electorate than in any election since 1976, based on national exit polls. Read more about this crucial voting block in our recent report, “Independents Day 2012”

What You Need to Know about Independents in 2012:

  • The number of registered Independents has increased since 2008 in many of the battleground states that will decide the 2012 election. 
  • Democratic registration fared worse relative to both Republican and Independent registration between 2008 and 2011.
  • Republican registration gained relative to Democratic registration between 2008 and 2011. 
  • Based on the combination of this general trend and the rise in both registration and self-identification of Independents since 2008, the most likely scenario for 2012 is that Independents will make up a bigger portion of the electorate than in any election since 1976, based on national exit polls.

Read more about this crucial voting block in our recent report, “Independents Day 2012”