Work

Not a Teammate and Not a Fan: Probing the Identities of Unaffiliated Registered Voters

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: For decades, in most states with a party registration option, the percentage of voters registering as unaffiliated with a major political party has steadily increased. But who are these registered voters in these polarized partisan times, and why might they register without a major party? We address these questions by drawing on parallel large-N original surveys of registered voters in two southeastern states experiencing a notable rise in registered independents but with different electoral rules for unaffiliated registrants. The closed primary rule in Florida reflects a much greater share of major party registrants versus North Carolina, which has a semi-closed primary rule. Nevertheless, even with these different primary laws, in both states we find that the decision not to register with a major party strongly covaries with identity as a political independent. Hence, registration rules may alter registration patterns, but individuals claiming to be less attached to a major party are markedly more likely to manifest this position by registering unaffiliated.

Source: State Politics & Policy Quarterly

DOI: 10.1017/spq.2025.2

Authors: M.V. (Trey) Hood, Seth C. McKee, Enrijeta Shino, Daniel A. Smith

Institutions: University of Georgia, Oklahoma State University, University of Alabama, University of Florida

Language: English

Topic: Electoral Systems and Political Participation

Subfield: Political Science and International Relations

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,550