Independent voters crucial in New Hampshire
Posted on January 7, 2008 - Filed Under Elections, President, Third Party
With just two days to go before the New Hampshire Primary, political experts say what has become a purple state may end up looking more red or blue depending on who independent voters support the most.
Currently, 43 percent of the state’s registered voters are independent — not affiliated with any party — compared to 38 percent in 2000.
According to one University of New Hampshire poll last year, 68 percent of registered independents will vote in the Democratic primary, up from the 62 percent of independents who voted in the GOP primary in 2000.
Independent voters also make up 45 percent of the electorate, which is up from 28 percent in 1996, when state lawmakers changed the law to simplify same-day registration.
According to the New Hampshire Secretary of State’s office, the state had 373,000 undeclared, or independent, voters in 2006, compared to 256,000 registered Republican voters and 221,000 registered Democratic voters.
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