Here is a link to the November 2012 exit poll data. The data shows that whereas only 1% of self-identified Democrats voted for a presidential candidate other than President Obama and Mitt Romney, and only 1% of self-identified Republicans voted for a presidential candidate other than Obama and Romney, 5% of the self-identified independent voters voted for another presidential candidate.

Because independent voters are the voters most likely to vote for minor party candidates, this data shows that a top-two system, which keeps minor party candidates off the November ballot, injures independent voters more than it hurts Republican and Democratic voters.

The data also shows 50% of independent voters voted for Romney, and only 45% of them voted for Obama.

The data shows that 38% of the voters self-identified as Democrats, 32% as Republicans, and 29% as independents.

The data shows that 3% of liberals, and 3% of moderates, voted for a minor party presidential candidate; but only 1% of conservatives voted for a minor party candidate.

The data shows that only 5% of the voters think foreign policy is the most important issue in the presidential election. But among those 5% of voters, 11% of them voted “other” for President.

Over the years, many major party nominees have been elected to Congress who started out in electoral politics as members and candidates for a minor party. The newest example is Kyrsten Sinema, who has just been elected to the U.S. House from Arizona as a Democrat. In 2002, she was the Green Party nominee for Arizona State House, 15th district (Tucson). The Green Party listed her in 2002 as one of their star candidates who had a chance of being elected. As a Green, she polled 16.38% of the vote in 2002.

One of the advantages of minor parties in the U.S. is that they often serve as a training ground for aspiring young people who first run as minor party nominees. The experience of running can be educational for the candidate, and may increase self-confidence enough to then switch to a major party.

In Washington state this year, no minor party or independent candidates appeared on the November ballot for Congress, and only two minor party candidates appeared on the November ballot for state legislature. Both minor party candidates only qualified for the November ballot because, in each case, only one major party member filed to run in the primary. When there is only one major party member running, that makes it possible for a minor party member to place second in the primary, and appear on the November ballot.

The Green Party entered such a race in the 40th district in Whatcom and Skagit Counties, and the Socialist Alternative Party entered such a race in the 43rd district in Seattle. Both polled surprisingly high percentages in November. The Socialist Alternative Party candidate, Kshama Sawant, polled 28.62% (although not all the votes have been counted yet); the Green Party member, Howard A. Pellett, polled 24.13%. Both were running against incumbent Democrats.

Sawant’s ballot label was “Socialist Altern.” Washington state won’t allow party labels longer than 15 characters. If she had been running in California, the law would have not permitted her to have that label on the ballot. Instead, her label would have been “no party preference.” Under California rules, the whole significance of a self-designated socialist winning as much support as she did would have been eviscerated. That is an example of why party labels on the ballot are so important.