The Democratic and Republican parties in these states jealously guard their taxpayer-funded primary elections by treating independents as outsiders. In reality, independents outnumber both Democrats and Republicans nationwide, in January 2020 we had 45 percent (Gallup Poll) of Americans self-identifying as independents.
Leaders in both parties may wake up and realize it is in their self-interest to roll out the red carpet to independent voters whose votes they will desperately need in November in closed primary battleground states like Florida, Pennsylvania and Arizona. The DNC (Democratic National Committee) and the RNC (Republican National Committee) penalize state parties if they attempt to move the date of their presidential primary too far forward. They could adopt a similar posture towards the inclusion of independents, penalizing state parties that don’t allow them to cast a ballot. After all, it’s harder to say “vote for us” in November after asserting “no independents allowed” in March.
