The total vote cast in the U.S. in regularly-scheduled elections for independent candidates for State Senate in November 2010 was 302,051 votes. When the same seats were up in November 2006, independent candidates received 152,151 votes.
Forty-two states held State Senate elections in each of those years. In most of those states, only half the seats were up. In the rare instance of multi-winner State Senate seats, when there was more than a single independent candidate, only the vote for the top vote-getting independent was included in the total.
In November 2010, independent candidates were elected to the State Senate in Alabama, Kentucky, Maine, and Rhode Island.
P.R. in ALL legislative body elections.
Total Votes / Total Seats = EQUAL votes needed for each seat winner.
i.e. elect lots more independents — and lots less party hack gerrymander robots.