Zogby Poll: Most Voters Want More than 2 Parties

On July 2, Zogby Polls released a poll that asked voters if they are happy with a system in which only two parties seem to be allowed to exist. 67% say they are dissatisfied with that system. 31% say they are satisfied. Only 3% were undecided. The poll was taken June 19-21 and included 5,651 respondents. Thanks to Jack Dean for this news.


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Zogby Poll: Most Voters Want More than 2 Parties — No Comments

  1. 67% seems higher than previous polls, but there has consistenly been majority support for more than two parties for decades. The constituency for electoral reform is there. But it is extremely hard to reach and mobilize. I think one of the many reasons for this is that most of this constituency is in the middle of the political spectrum, between the Republican base and Democratic base, while most activists are to the left or to the right. We are not part of the group we most need to reach.

    I wonder if any pollster has asked the public whether they would like a zero-party system, i.e. non-partisan elections and a ban on party labels. I bet you’d get a similar percentage.

  2. I think that the group COFOE is the avenue to move this , due to the fact that COFOE is a group made up 3rd and independents and open debaters . I would encourage people to join COFOE. the dues are small 25$ and with that you get a subsciption to ballot access news. Another signal to send is to drop your dem/repub status and re-register as an independent or 3rd. Loss of members is one thing that will that will shake the two parties to the core . One more thing and this one hurts a little, give money to candidates, but only the very best ones. And this election dont hold your nose and vote for the better of the bad , find a candidate that is really good and vote for him regardless of party. A wasted vote is the one cast for the two parties ( who will not care who you are as soon as they get elected ). Also push the debate issue every time you talk to a candidate. If you talk to the press tell them about http://www.rockthedebates.org, tell them if they do not support open debates then they must not support fair elections and you will not vote for them. Call in on talk radio. I feel inclusion in debates is the first wedge to crack this nut.

  3. Yes, when POLLED people say they want more political party choices, but then on election day, they VOTE overwhelmingly for Democrats and Republicans.

  4. 67%, with most pollsters ignoring the people who are not likely to vote, indicates to me a much larger percentage of all age eligible voters who want to end the corrupt bipartisan two-party political system.

    Up to 94% of all possible voters are ready to support a non-partisan political system, with no parties in control of the election process.

    The thing missing is a means of organization to secure ballot access for every Voter in a clean electoral process. that would take many reforms, to include taking money out of the bipartisan political process.

    The support is there for an intentional non-partisan coalition political movement to establish a clean political process. We are ripe to end political corruption throughout the US. There is a way using free political tools. Th work hsa been done to provide the needed organization.

    Millions of people are looking for a way to have a voice in our political life. The energy is there if it can be organized.
    Rich Stevenson, Cincinnati, OH 1-513-251-3155

  5. “Yes, when POLLED people say they want more political party choices, but then on election day, they VOTE overwhelmingly for Democrats and Republicans.”

    Not surprising when you consider the barriers that third parties face.

  6. Tom, as an active participant in third party politics, I know the difficulties parties have in getting on the ballot; however, when we do get on the ballot, the VOTERS hardly flock to us in the numbers suggested by those POLLED.

    I think the disparity is more because voters DON’T REALLY want a third party than because the bar is set too high.

  7. People probably would vote for a credible third party candidate, and that is what the poll suggests, IMHO.

    OTOH, way too many third party candidates are little more than “paper” candidates. Indeed, most spend way too little, and campaign way too little, to be considered viable and credible. Few people will vote for a candidate with little chance of winning, let alone one they have never heard of.

  8. Since to most people a “credible” third-party candidate means one with politics essentially identical to the Demopublican duopoly but somehow more “independent” or “honest”, it’s quite natural that there would be a low vote for third-party candidates who actually stand for something. What we need is to widen the political conversation around issues in this country, not just restrict it to electoral matters.

  9. We need to have a conversation about electoral reforms like proportional voting systems. A way this conversation can start is by having a citizens assembly, like British Columbia, and now Ontario just did. A group of citizens randomly chosen was asked to consider alternatives to their election system. After presentations from experts in the field, they deliberated and voted on a system of proportional representation. It was sent to the ballot, and although it received over a majority of votes, it didn’t receive the sixty percent super-majority required. This fall Ontario will vote on the recommendations of their assembly. If we at least consider ideas like these, it may open up further discussion and actions.

  10. Both of Joel’s points are important. The single most important reason people don’t vote for small party and independent candidates is because doing so often helps elect their own worst choice, in other words vote splitting. People don’t need to take political science courses to understand this.

    The poll numbers show that there is a natural constituency for proportional representation.

    I’m also a very big fan of the Citizens’ Assembly approach.

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