Florida Independent Voter Attitude Survey

FLORIDA VOTER ATTITUDE SURVEY

Florida Poll ResultsJanuary 2016 2

About Open Primaries

Open Primaries represents a movement of Americans working to end partisanship and polarization

in politics through reform of the primary election system. We are a national voter empowerment

nonprofit that advocates for open, nonpartisan primary systems, counters efforts to impose closed

primaries, and builds coalitions of activists across the country. Our mission is to bridge the gap

between the American people and government by creating more platforms for voters’ voices to be

heard.

Methodology and Respondents

■ Open Primaries conducted a statewide phone survey of voters in Florida from 5 Jan 2016- 30 Jan 2016. Our list consisted of a random sample of registered voters who are identified as Independent or unaffiliated.

■ Open Primaries wanted to gauge voters’ opinion on the political environment in Florida, learn their views on the upcoming Presidential Primary, and provide voter education about nonpartisan election reform.

■ The survey had 428 respondents from across the state.


Insights and Takeaways

■ There are 3.2 million registered independent or unaffiliated voters in Florida. They are not eligible to vote in the 2016 Presidential Primary. 88% of Florida’s independents believe that their exclusion is unfair and 87% want a more inclusive political process.

■ 95% of Florida’s independent voters want to focus on good candidates and the issues, not parties, with 88% believing that neither political party works for them.

■ Florida’s independent voters overwhelmingly support structural political change. 87% support a change to nonpartisan primaries, and 93% support a truly independent redistricting commission.

■ In addition to our survey questions, we asked independent voters if they were willing to sign a petition to the chairs of the Democratic and Republican parties in Florida urging them to open the 2016 Presidential Primaries to independent voters. 83% of respondents signed the petition.


Key Findings


In Florida, the number of voters registering as Independent has increased four fold since 1990—

almost half of new registered voters. Voters are registering as Independent at a faster rate than all

other parties combined. We asked respondents why so many voters may be registering as

independent. Slides 5-8 are their responses:

Agree, 95%

Disagree5%

FLORIDIANS WANT TO SEE GOOD CANDIDATES, REGARDLESS OF WHAT PARTY THEY ARE IN, AND BEING AN INDEPENDENT IS A WAY TO FOCUS

ON THE CANDIDATE AND THE ISSUES

Key Findings

Agree 88%

Disagree 12%

THE MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES SPEND TOO MUCH TIME FIGHTING AND NOTENOUGH TIME SOLVING PROBLEMS, SO IT MAKES SENSE NOT TO JOIN A

PARTY


Key Findings

Agree12%

Disagree88%

PEOPLE REGISTER AS INDEPENDENT BECAUSE THEY FEEL THEY DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT POLITICS TO JOIN A PARTY


Key Findings

Agree73%

Disagree27%

PEOPLE REGISTER AS INDEPENDENT BECAUSE THEY DO NOT FEEL REPRESENTED IN EITHER MAJOR PARTY.


Key FindingsFlorida currently uses a closed primary system, where voters must be members of a political party to

vote in the primaries. This means Florida’s 3.2 million Independent or unaffiliated voters are

completely shut out.

Yes15%

No85%

DO YOU THINK OUR CURRENT VOTING SYSTEM IS FAIR TO INDEPENDENT VOTERS?


Key Findings

Yes88%

No12%

DO YOU THINK INDEPENDENTS SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN DECIDING WHICH PRESIDENTIAL CONTENDERS MAKE THE CUT FOR THE

GENERAL ELECTION?


Key Findings

Yes64%

No36%

DO YOU THINK THE POLITICAL PARTIES ARE ACTIVELY TRYING TO STIFLEVOTER PARTICIPATION BY EXCLUDING INDEPENDENTS FROM PRIMARIES?


Key Findings

Yes83%

No17%

CAN I ADD YOUR NAME TO A LETTER TO THE CHAIRS OF THE FLORIDA DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN PARTIES ASKING THEM TO OPEN THE 2016

PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES TO INDEPENDENTS?


Key Findings

Yes87%

No13%

AS OF RIGHT NOW, WOULD YOU VOTE FOR A BALLOT INITIATIVE TO ENACTTOP TWO PRIMARIES IN FLORIDA?


Key Findings

Yes87%

No13%

DO YOU THINK WE NEED A MORE INCLUSIVE POLITICAL PROCESS IN ORDER TO EMPOWER VOTERS?


Additional FindingsIn July 2015, the Florida Supreme Court ruled that the state legislature intentionally drew

congressional district maps to favor Republican legislators. The court then ordered the legislature to

redraw the map. In other states, Arizona for example, elected officials don’t get to draw their own

maps. Instead, there is an independent commission charged with the task.

Legislators7%

Independent Commission93%

WHICH APPROACH WOULD YOU PREFER?


Additional Findings

16.5% 17.9%

28.8%

13.9%12.3%

8.4%

2.3%

TOP CONCERNS OF VOTERS


Adriana Espinoza

Associate Director of Outreach

[email protected]

(602) 529-2353

For more information, contact:

Florida Independent Voter Attitude Survey

Government & Nonprofit

Transcript of Florida Independent Voter Attitude Survey