In a First, US Independent Turnout Tops Democrats, Ties Republicans, Edison Research Says

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: US News and World Report/Reuters

Nov. 6, 2024, at 12:46 a.m.


(Reuters) -Self-identified independents accounted for a larger share of voters in Tuesday's U.S. presidential election than Democrats and were tied with Republicans, Edison Research exit polling data showed.

It was the first time since Edison began exit polling in 2004 that independents' share of overall turnout has exceeded that of one of the two major U.S. political parties.

The independent share stood at 34% in the latest update of Edison's exit poll, compared with 34% for Republicans and 32% for Democrats.

The independent turnout share was up 8 percentage points from 2020, when at 26% it was a distant third to both Democrats and Republicans.

Read more: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2024-11-06/in-a-first-us-independent-turnout-tops-democrats-ties-republicans-edison-research-says

[3825-87867]

1. Bullshit!

!

[LiberalArkie]

2. True... I am registered Independent so I can vote in the Republican primaries. Most of my friends are I

In the south the I's get purged from the rolls less often. But, the R's started registering I also.

[live love laugh]

5. I agree. They want to sane wash the steal and for us to buy into it.

There is there is no way that at the last moment we can see the kind of turnaround that gave Trump. This alleged win without some outside interference.

[H2O Man]

14. Respectfully disagree.

If one notes that the number of independent voters surpassed both the republican and Democratic parties in recent years, this comes as no surprise.

[LisaM]

3. I think this is something to worry about.

One thing that (especially) younger voters don't pay attention to is the party platform.

I first saw the difference between the 2004 and 2008 elections when Washington still had caucuses. In 2004, turnout was larger than I had seen in earlier years, but everyone engaged in voting on the platform.

In 2008, there were a ton of voters, but they had zero interest in voting for the platform. In fact, in my precinct, they didn't. They skipped it entirely even though it was in the rules that we were supposed to vote for it, and the people running the precinct let that stand for some reason. We just skipped to the vote.

The platform represents everything young voters say they want, including efforts to save the environment, and affordable healthcare. Yet they don't pay attention to it and most of them probably have never heard of it.

I think we were a better country with stronger parties and stronger party identification.

[3825-87867]

4. We've become even more ignorant

and apathetic about everything unless it pertains directly to each individual.
Hard to believe that those in rural America who have very little and especially small farmers, don't realize they're going to have even less and the Republicans will switch the blame to Democrats.
I got mine, you get yours.
And greed is good (but only for those who have or think they have).

Gordon Gecko for the win.

[H2O Man]

15. Very well said!

And no surprise, coming from you. And you bring up extremely important points -- ones that every Democrat needs to understand.

We are in an era that is very different than anyone has experienced. It is not like when Democrats alone could win elections ...... and although it has been that way since the felon's era began, to paraphase LBJ, we have to change our thinking in order to master the changing circumstances.

[LisaM]

16. Yes the Obama election was great, but...

I don't think it strengthened the Democratic party itself. Even his own voters abandoned him in the 2008 special election and in the 2010 midterms. They elected him, but didn't give him the tools to work with. That mystified me, but the lesson was that people were ignoring actual issues to some extent. They share the same values, they want the same things, but seem unwilling to commit their vote beyond the Presidential election year or to understand how government works.

Also, I appreciate your kind words, very much needed today.

[H2O Man]

18. I remember when

President Obama said, "Make me do it." But once he was elected, good people seemed to sit back, satisfied that he could accomplish anything and everything. And that created a vacumm which was immediately filled by the tea party. And that degenerated into the maga cult that has become the republican party.

[generalbetrayus]

6. I believe most registered independents are Republicans

who just don't want to admit they are fascist, racist pigs like those who admit they are Republicans.

[wryter2000]

10. I believe that

I just figured many of them would be never-Trumpers

[Dumpy]

20. If true, most registered independents are republicans

that mean more people would be registered republicans instead of registered democrats. Democrats have a branding problem?

[Captain Zero]

22. What you have said. Independents covers Republicans who know they should be ashamed

nt

[Fiendish Thingy]

7. Do we have numbers for overall turnout for all voters compared to 2020?

I know there’s lots of votes still being counted on the west coast, but the last popular vote update I saw - 66 million for Harris, 71 million for Trump- seems way lower than 2020, by like 20 million.

[ancianita]

8. I have the 2020 numbers but am just not in the mood to talk numbers.

Maybe I'll lay them out later. There will be a postmortem, but today's not my day for it.

[wryter2000]

9. Where in hell were all the democrats

Were all those young people independents?

[DiamondShark]

11. Don't know if it can be FOIAed.

Too many were purged off the voter rolls this election cycle. Add that to voter apathy and you get what we saw last night.

This is one result of FAFO, or Stay Home and Find Out.

[H2O Man]

17. I think that

a rapidly increasing number of young people register as independents.

[TBF]

12. We don't have that in Texas, yet we have several of the top cities in population

We do not have registration. The only time we have to declare at all is when we vote in a primary, and it does not obligate us in the general.

Do other states have to register by party to vote??

I smell BS on this.

[markodochartaigh]

13. We also have to consider the number,

usually about one third, who can't be bothered to vote as long as they get their hamberders and sportsball.

Ignorance and apathy are the Achilles' heels of democracy and in the US both ignorance of issues and apathy towards politics are considered cool.

[Hope22]

19. The independents stuck a fork in the Dems.

The Republicans are now Maga. A few more cycles and it will all be Maga. No D, no R simply MAGA hail it the king. Think of the money that will be saved on campaigns. The effort and time saved will allow everyone to have a hobby or study something interesting or attend therapy.

[oldmanlynn]

21. Democrats did not turn out like normal

Not sure why? Gaza maybe