May 6, 2025
NEW NBC NEWS POLL: Young Independents Frustrated with Two-Party System
In a poll after poll, we’re seeing Gen Zers and millennials move further away from the two major parties and partisan politics. A new NBC news poll reveals that not only are Gen Zers and millennials more likely than older generations to identify themselves as independents but they are frustrated with how both parties view and engage with independent voters.
65% of Gen Z independents believe neither Democrats nor Republicans fight for people like them
78% of Gen Z independents believe the country is on the wrong track.
Though a record-breaking share of independent voters participated in the 2024 presidential general election, many independents still can’t participate in the most meaningful elections in their state-the primaries.
As CA independent voter, Jack Nagel shared:
“The deck is stacked against independents, there’s no doubt about that.”
NYC Independent voters and forward looking New Yorkers spoke out. The Commission listened. Open Primaries is on the Agenda.
The NYC Charter Revision Commission (which has the power to put initiatives on this November’s ballot) has been holding public meetings across the city for months. And for months, Open Primaries and the Let Us Vote community have been bringing out dozens of independents to testify in person and in writing to each one.
The Commission has released its preliminary report, and it has added primary reform to the issues that they are focusing on and will “carefully consider” whether to advance a proposal to the voters in November.
We are going to keep the pressure on as the Commission continues to hold public hearings! Stay tuned.
AND JUST IN… NYC CAMPAIGN FINANCE BOARD RELEASES REPORT ON INDEPENDENTs
New report released with two key findings on independents:
21% of city voters are unaffiliated
49% of those unaffiliated voters are under the age of 40.
Distribution of voters by political party group, by age.
The fight for independent voting rights is on in Oklahoma
The campaign to open Oklahoma’s primaries to all voters (SQ 836) has been gaining serious traction the last few months and now party insiders are pushing back.
The state’s Republican Party is asking the Oklahoma Supreme Court to block State Question 836, a proposed ballot initiative that would open up primary elections to all voters, regardless of party affiliation.
Campaign leader and prominent Oklahoman Republican pollster Pat McFerron is pushing back. In a new piece in the Oklahoman, McFerron lays out how open primaries is actually rooted – historically and ethically – in the foundational principles of conservatism:
Jenn Bullock, the founder of Independent Pennsylvanians, had some fun playing with Chat GBT this week. She posed the following question to Chat GBT: 
Telling an independent voter to change their registration to Democrat or Republican is like:
And Chat GBT came back with the following —
“Like forcing a cat to join either the dog club or the bird club in order to get fed.”
“It’s like colonial subjects being told to pick which royal family member gets to rule them—when they don’t want a king at all.”
“Telling a vegetarian they have to pick between steak or chicken just to order from the menu.”
“Being forced to choose a team in a game you don’t fully believe in, just to be allowed to play.”
“Like telling someone they have to lie on a form to be allowed to tell the truth at the ballot box.”
“Like telling someone who left the church they still need to choose a denomination to attend a community meeting.”
HMMM… Chat GBT gets it was better than the Democratic and Republican Parties do!
Independent Voters Gain Ground As New Mexico Opens Primaries
Open Primaries Senior VP Jeremy Gruber points out in a new op-ed in The Fulcrum the win in New Mexico reflects a shift we’re seeing in communities and states across the country:
