Growing independence among college voters could shift dynamic of 2012 election

Fewer voters across the country are choosing to register as democrats or republicans, a trend that some college students attribute to increasingly polarized political rhetoric and voter alienation from a two party political system.

A USA TODAY analysis of state voter registration statistics found that 2.5 million voters have left the Democratic and Republican party since 2008. The number of Democrats fell in 25 of the 28 states that register voters by party, while the number of Republicans fell in 21 states.

The analysis also showed that the number of independent voters increased in 18 states.

Frustration among college students marks a significant shift from 2008, when the Obama campaign recruited a record number of young people to get involved in the election. A sense of estrangement among college students coupled with reluctance to get politically involved could significantly shift the dynamic of the 2012 election.

David Rice, a sophomore at Dartmouth College, speculated that while college students were frustrated with their government, but it was for different reasons than those of most Americans. Since college students can depend on their parents for healthcare, housing, and food, Rice said, they have different political concerns than other Americans.

?It?s an entirely different lifestyle than the one that most Americans live,? Rice said. ?And while there are issues and stresses in the average college student?s life. They are incredibly different than the issues and stresses of the average Americans?.?

Zach Goldaber, a sophomore at the University of Chicago, said that he thought that demonstrations on college campuses across the country this fall clearly showed student frustration.

?You only have to look at the protests at UC Davis, UC Berkeley, or at Occupy Boston to see that a huge number of college students are very upset with what they perceive to be the political status quo,? Goldaber said. ?I feel like more and more people are becoming politically active, but aren?t finding the answers they?re looking for in the Democratic and Republican parties.?

The decline in democratic and republican affiliation is paramount in swing states that could significantly impact the 2012 election. In the eight swing states that register voters by party, Democratic and Republican registration has dropped, while the number of registered independent voters has increased, according to the USA TODAY analysis.

?I think that more and more people are feeling disenfranchised by the two party system,? said Daniel Goulden, a sophomore at Brandeis University. ?There are very few politicians who I feel are honest.?

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3. Without Chris Christie, young voters ambivalent toward GOP field
4. Election 2012: From the classroom to the campaign
5. Date shift impacts student participation in Iowa caucus

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of USA TODAY.

Source: http://www.usatodayeducate.com/staging/index.php/election2012/growing-independence-among-college-voters-could-shift-dynamic-of-2012-election

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