Independent Voters and Arizona Primaries
Date: Wednesday, October 1, 2014, 6:00 p.m.
Location: Museum of Northern Arizona
Facilitated by: Dr. John Devlin, W.A. Franke College of Business
Attendance: 20
Tired of Extremes
Some independent voters want more options than Democrat or Republican, left or right. This was often because
party affiliations are increasingly associated with extreme viewpoints. Also, registering with a party means a
mailbox flooded with solicitations for campaign donations.
Loss of Power
Many independent voters feel a loss of power. They see no mechanism by which their views could be inserted
into the power structure. This leads to apathy.
Voter Apathy
People are apathetic in different ways. Some don’t want to be involved at the grass roots level. Others may enjoy
engaging at the local level, but become increasingly disengaged as politics become more distant (i.e., national).
Millennials are Independents
Independent voting may not be tied just to reasoning, but to demographics. Roughly half of Millennials are
registered independents.
Independents and Open Primaries
The large number of independent voters is resulting in some states adopting Open Primaries. Open primaries do
not require party affiliations to participate in the primary election. California, Louisiana, and Washington now have
open primaries. Open primaries may also encourage a broader field of candidates.
Ranking Candidates as an Alternative Voting System
One alternative to partisan politics is preferential voting also known as instant runoff voting. In this system voters
rank all candidates.
Improving Turnout among Independents
Given our current electoral system, one way to bolster independent participation in partisan primary elections is
to keep sending them a particular party’s ballot after a voter has requested it once. If an independent selects a
Republican ballot, she would continue to receive the Republican ballot until she makes an a different request.
Arizona’s Long Ballot is Too Onerous
In Arizona, the long ballot may put too great a burden on the voters. We might change our constitution from a long
ballot to a short ballot. This would make voting more straightforward, less intimidating, and may increase
participation.
The Structure of Voting
What we do in Arizona depends on what the objectives are. One of the most important things we can pay
attention to is the structure of voting. Right now, rather than taking steps to make voting easier, we are making it
more difficult. If we did want to make it easier we might institute same day voter registration. (This is currently
available in 10 states and the District of Columbia.) There may be vested interest in low turnout in the primaries
because it often gives parties greater control. Another important structural issue is having non gerrymandered
districts. However, as independent voters increase, gerrymandering may become less relevant.
Conclusion
One person said that the majority of independents he knows became that way because they became
disenchanted with their party. We also know that since 1994 the number of both Democrats and Republicans who
identify with the party extremes has doubled.
In Arizona we should educate. Studies show that the less you know the less likely you are to vote. We also know
that Republicans, Democrats, and Independents do not vary widely in how well informed they are about the
issues. We might increase voter turnout across the board if we found an effective way to educate the public about
the issues on the ballot.
Supported by NAU's Franke College of Business, McKenzie Endowment for
Democracy, and SBS Compassion Project.