Washington: In a historic shift, self-identified independent voters accounted for a larger share of turnout in the recent U.S. presidential election than Democrats and matched that of Republicans, according to Edison Research exit polling data. This marks the first time since Edison began tracking exit polls in 2004 that independents’ share of the vote has surpassed that of one of the two major U.S. parties.
The data shows that independents represented 34% of the total turnout, equal to the Republican share and slightly above the Democratic share at 32%. This is an 8-point increase from 2020, where independents made up only 26% of voters—a distant third to both major parties.
Despite this notable growth among independent voters, Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate, retained the majority support of this group, with 50% of independents backing her candidacy. However, former President Donald Trump made gains among independents, securing 45% of their votes—an improvement of four percentage points from his 2020 performance.
Also Read | Republicans Secure Control of U.S. Senate, House Majority Still Undecided
These shifts highlight the evolving influence of independents as a crucial swing voter bloc and suggest their increasing sway in the electoral landscape.
