Based on preliminary election returns, it appears the percentage of the vote in the November 2014 election for independent and minor party candidates, for the office at the top of the ballot, was 4.4%.
By contrast, in 2010 it was 5.4%; in 2006 it was 5.0%; in 2002, it was 5.3%; in 1998, it was 4.9%; in 1994, it was 4.5%; in 1990, it was 4.6%; in 1986 it was 3.6%. But in 1982, it was only 1.8%, and in 1978 and 1974 it was only 2.4%.
The chief reason the 2014 “other” vote for the office at the top of the ballot was lower than in recent past midterm elections is that California and Washington did not let voters cast an “other” vote in November 2014. California and Washington together comprise one-eighth of the nation.
In November 2010, California voters cast 539,645 votes for “other” candidates for Governor, but in November 2014, there were zero such votes, due to California’s having switched to the top-two system starting in 2011. Naturally, with such a drastic change in California, the national percentage for “other” was significantly lowered.
A note on methodology: These calculations exclude scattering write-in votes, and exclude votes for “None of these candidates” in Nevada. These calculations include votes cast on minor party lines for the top office to be “other” votes, even if the particular minor party cross-endorsed a major party nominee.
Top office on the ballot means Governor, for states that elect Governors in midterm years. For those that don’t, it means U.S. Senate. For the handful of states each year in which neither Governor nor U.S. Senate is up, it means the office actually at the top of the ballot.
Yikes. How many hours to gather the stats ???
ANTI-Democracy minority rule gerrymanders in ALL of the regimes –
both houses of Congress, Prez Electoral College
ALL houses of ALL State legislatures
Many, many local govts – whole or part.
—
P.R. and nonpartisan App.V.
Federal offices appear above state offices on Texas ballots.
Right. I wanted to have a uniform rule for the whole country, because otherwise a historical comparison would be very difficult, as ballot formats change over time.
I think one way of getting more American citizens on board is to give them Real-World examples from both the Past and Abroad.
Charles Rice:
I’m afraid the only way “of getting more American citizens on board” is when bayonets are being pushed into the backs of lazy Americans on their way to “re-education centers.”
I don’t to mean to sound discouraging, but after some 40 years in the 3rd party and Independent movement, the average American voter is just as “stupid” today as he was 40 years ago.
And by “stupid” I mean he thinks that both major parties are okay, and there is not enough difference between the two to get excited about. And when you do finally get someone convinced about the negatives of one of the major parties, they chime back, “well, the other party is just as bad.”
Again, don’t mean to discourage you, but hope you will join with those of us who are at least attempting to get the ballot access requirements for 3rd parties and Independents to be of the same requirements as is called for of the Democrats and Republicans.
If we can do this, then we might see 3rd party and/or Independent candidates get on the ballot in every electoral jurisdiction in the United States, and demand to be included in the Debates.
But first things first. Let’s get the ballot access laws changed, then we’ll work on equal participation in the Debates.
“California and Washington together comprise one-eighth of the nation.”
That statement looks untrue. I think a more accurate fraction would be just over 1/12th of the national vote, not 1/8th.