Nevada is one of the states that issues updated voter registration data every month. Here is a link to the Secretary of State’s registration data. Independent Political Report noticed that the Las Vegas Sun recently ran an article about the impressive share of the voters in Nevada who are registered in the Independent American Party, the Nevada state affiliate of the Constitution Party. Thanks to Independent Political Report for this link.
The Secretary of State purged the voter registration rolls during January 2009, so the newspaper appropriately started with a comparison of the February 2009 data with the September 2009 data.
In February 2009, the percentages (for active voters) were: Democratic 43.76%, Republican 35.81%, independents 15.24%, Independent American Party 4.00%, Libertarian .56%, Green .275%, unqualified parties .35%.
In September 2009, the percentages (again, for active voters) are: Democratic 43.72%, Republican 35.58%, independents 15.40%, Independent American Party 4.10%, Libertarian .58%, Green .278%, unqualified parties .35%.
This isn’t because of our name, but we’ve been conduction voter reg. drives all over the state during the year- those drives were the biggest factors, FYI.
The IAP will gain major party status someday soon
It may not be JUST because of the name (as you point out) but having a party name with the word “Independent” in it cannot hurt either.
Nevada law says a “major party” (one that nominates by primary instead of by convention) needs registration of 10%. No party other than the Democratic and Republican Parties has managed to have registration membership even as high as 5%, in any state, since the 1910’s decade. Even the American Labor Party of New York in its strongest decade, the 1940’s, had as much as 5% of New York’s registration.
The Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party of the 1930’s and 1940’s, and the Wisconsin Progressive Party of the same period, probably would have had well above 5% of their states’ registrations, except that neither of those two states has ever had registration by party.
I meant to say the American Labor Party never had as much as 5%, but I omitted the “never” in the comment just above this one.
Being “Independent” is also a political philosophy – and is not just being “no party.”
When Libertarians, Constitutionalists, Greens, and other parties with doctrinaire names finally understand that, they too might see their respective party registration numbers equal that of the Independent American Party, the American Independent Party, the Alaskan Independence Party, the New York Independence Party, and the Independent Party of Florida.
It may not be JUST because of the name (as you point out) but having a party name with the word “Independent†in it cannot hurt either.
= Agreed, it does help. The Greens in Maine were smart to include the word in their title.