Shawn Griffiths
In a few short months, fireworks will light up the sky to celebrate America’s 250th birthday on July 4. But a different kind of spark is already catching fire in Washington.
On February 27, the better elections group Open Primaries released a sweeping public statement titled Declaration of Independents, framing the exclusion of independent voters from taxpayer-funded elections as the unfinished business of 1776.
The message is deliberately revolutionary in tone. Two and a half centuries after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, organizers argue that millions of Americans are still treated as “second-class citizens” in a political system dominated by party structures.
If a voter refuses to join “team red or team blue,” Open Primaries notes, their participation in democracy is limited – particularly in taxpayer-funded primaries that often determine the ultimate winners of general elections.
“As America nears 250 years since 1776, the promise of political equality remains unfulfilled,” the Declaration states. “Taxation without representation is no relic – it burns as fiercely now as at the founding.”
Open Primaries’ Declaration outlines several reform priorities that align with broader election reform debates heading into the 2026 midterms:
- Opening all publicly funded elections to every voter
- Ending discriminatory ballot-access and election administration laws
- Ensuring equal treatment of independent voters in debates, polling, and media coverage
- Recognizing political independence as a right of citizenship
The organization frames these demands not as partisan reforms, but as structural changes aimed at voter equality and political inclusion. The central premise: no citizen’s participation should depend on party membership.
Half the Country Identifies as Independent
There is an urgency behind the Declaration that is grounded in data.
According to Gallup, 45% of Americans now identify as independents – vastly outnumbering Democrats and Republicans. This includes 56% of Gen Z voters and 54% of Millennials.
John Opdycke
And while historical trends used to show voters “picking a side” as they aged, neither generation has, which is driving up the independent voter count.
Open Primaries says roughly 10,000 Americans leave the two major parties every week. Yet in many states with closed or semi-closed primary systems, independent voters are barred from participating in the very elections their tax dollars fund.
This creates a structural imbalance in representation, limiting independent voters’ ability to shape candidate selection, debate access, polling visibility, and media coverage.
Echoing warnings from George Washington about factionalism, the Declaration argues that today’s political machinery elevates party gatekeepers and special interests above voters themselves.
A Fourth of July Showdown?
Open Primaries describes the Declaration as the “opening salvo” in a broader national campaign.
On July 4, the organization plans to deliver the signed document to the chairs of both major political parties – a symbolic gesture it says marks the formal emergence of an electorate no longer willing to remain outside the gates of its own democracy.
With the 2026 midterm elections approaching, the stakes are rising. Independent voters now represent the largest and fastest-growing segment of the electorate. Yet millions of them will be shut out from critical electoral decisions this year.
Reform advocates warn that continued exclusion of this bloc from meaningful participation in primary elections and party-controlled systems could carry seismic political consequences.
In a political environment defined by partisan gridlock, culture wars, and institutional distrust, the rise of independent voters is no longer a footnote. It is a central storyline in the evolving debate over open primaries, voting rights, ballot access, and the future of American democracy.