Report: More indies in swing states (Politico)

In eight key swing states, the number of registered independents registered has gone up since the last election while Democrats and Republicans have both dipped, according to a new study that said the finding has major implications for the 2012 presidential race.

The number of independents in the up-for-grabs states has climbed by 3.4 percent, or 254,310 voters, since 2008, the report from Third Way reveals. At the same time, Democratic registration decreased by 5.4 percent, or a whopping 825,708 voters, while Republican registration saw a drop of 3.1 percent, or 378,835 voters.

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First reported by POLITICO Playbook, the numbers, compiled from data in eight key swing states for which voter registration information is available ? Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina and Pennsylvania ? reveal that in seven of those states, independents? share of the electorate increased relative to both Democrats and Republicans.

The states that saw the biggest increase in registered independent voters were North Carolina, 125,094; Florida, 99,841; and Colorado, 92,539. Pennsylvania lost the biggest number of Democrats, 339,139, and also saw the biggest decrease in its registered Republicans, 215,725.

?Based on the combination of this general trend and the rise in both registration and self-identi?cation of independents since 2008, the most likely scenario for 2012 is that independents will make up a bigger portion of the electorate next year than in any election since1976,? the study said.

As the report also points out, President Barack Obama won 52 percent of independent voters in 2008, winning the group by double-digit margins in all but four battleground states.

?Independents will be the deciders in 2012, and President Obama will need them to an even greater degree than he did in 2008,? the study said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/politico_rss/rss_politico_mostpop/http___www_politico_com_news_stories1211_69967_html/43831909/SIG=11me6ug9h/*http%3A//www.politico.com/news/stories/1211/69967.html

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