More 'Independent' Latino Voters Registered in Florida; What This Means for the 2016 US Presidential Elections
The 2016 Presidential Elections remain unpredictable as more surprising twists and turns arise among Latino voters, particularly in the sunny state of Florida.
The number of Latino voters has surprisingly increased over the past few months after "swing voting" Puerto Ricans migrated to Florida, but it is not the only thing that could make or break the reign of Democrats or Republicans in the country.
Recent statistics from Pew Research revealed a skyrocket of independent voters in Florida, which will see 610,000 people who support neither President Barack Obama's Democratic nor Donald Trump's Republican parties.
These numbers have an immense impact on the upcoming elections because since they have not identified with either party, they hold power over the election results and should therefore be the ones the candidates are wooing.
Who Are Independent Voters?
According to Truth Out, independent voters hold the key to a candidate's success in taking the highest seat in the land.
"Presidential elections are all about independent voters. They're the ones who ultimately decide elections and who candidates want to sway," the website explained.
Independent voters can also be considered "closet Republicans and Democrats" who feel uneasy siding with a party because of the negative connotation of being partisan.
"We've got a government with very little accountability; we've got a government with no productivity; and we've got an increase in partisanship on both sides, which means they become less accountable and they do even less," Bill Hillsman, a member of Independent Voters of America explained.
Unlike their partisan brothers and sisters, independent voters are deemed less informed, contrary to popular belief that they do not choose a party because they do not want to be blinded by party loyalty.
Citing political expert Philip Converse, the outlet implies that independent voters are also the so-called "swing voters" who readily change their minds in favor of a candidate whom they believe is capable of improving their state of life.
Florida's Independent Voters
One disadvantage of being an independent voter is not being able to participate in the primaries.
This is because primaries for choosing Democratic and Republican candidates are restricted to those registered to be members of either party.
This disappointing truth is what West Orange High School 18-year-old senior Rachel Smith had to learn the hard way.
"I thought, as an independent, you could vote for anybody in a primary. I don't really necessarily care about party, I just want the best candidate to win," she said in an interview with the Orlando Sentinel.
This, however, does not mean that independent voters are stripped of the chance of electing the country's leader as they will still be able to participate in the national elections. This means that they will soon be the subject of courtship by the presidential hopefuls.
Subscribe to Latin Post!
Sign up for our free newsletter for the Latest coverage!