Explainer: Third Parties

On December 2nd, the Commission filed a lawsuit against Secretary of State Adrian Fontes over the former No Labels Party's change of name to the Arizona Independent Party. It’s a good time to revisit what it means to be an independent in Arizona. Tom Collins and Gina Roberts from the Arizona Clean Elections Commission sit down with Dr. Thom Reilly, Co-Director of the Center for an Independent and Sustainable Democracy at ASU, and author of 'The Independent Voter,' to learn more about the two party system, what it takes to run on a third party ticket, and where the independent voter fits in. CCEC: Voting As An Independent In Arizona The independent vote in 2024: An analysis of swing-states vs. US (from Edison Research / National Election poll via Reuters exit poll data) Gallup: Independents Drive Trump's Approval to 37% Second-Term Low Pew Research Center: Support for more political parties in the U.S. is higher among adults under age 50 Gallup: Support for a Third Political Party in the U.S. Dips to 58% Book: The Independent Voter Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.