As millions of Americans head to the polls for the much-anticipated midterms, a record number of voters are rejecting traditional Democratic and Republican party labels, according to Al Jazeera.

Nearly half of the US voting population—representing as many as 117 million adults—now identifies as politically independent, as reported by Al Jazeera citing Pew Research Center data. Despite this unprecedented shift, independent and third-party candidates continue to win very few federal or state seats in a political system dominated for generations by the two major parties.

Key Details

Al Jazeera reported that Pew Research Center survey data shows 44 percent of US adults identify as political independents, compared to 29 percent identifying as Democrats and 28 percent as Republicans. However, the Pew data also notes that most self-described independents still lean toward one of the major parties, leaving true independents who express absolutely no partisan leaning at only about 7 to 10 percent of the total electorate.

According to polling figures from Marist cited by Al Jazeera, 52 percent of likely independent voters are supporting Democrats in the midterm elections, while 39 percent back Republicans. Al Jazeera also reported that frustration with President Donald Trump is permeating the electoral landscape among independent respondents.

Background

For generations, the Democratic and Republican parties have maintained a firm grip on US politics, spanning state legislatures, the US Congress, and the presidency. As former Maine Republican Party chair Rick Bennett noted to Al Jazeera, the entire electoral system is built to frustrate the independence of voters. While millions reject party labels, far fewer ultimately cast ballots for independent candidates, a trend political scientist AJ Simmons described to Al Jazeera as a long-standing struggle for candidates outside the two major parties.

Why It Matters

For readers observing international political trends, the US midterm elections illustrate the deep complexities of navigating a deeply partisan political system where a massive bloc of persuadable swing voters exists alongside entrenched party machinery.