Independent

Huge effort is put into winning over indendent voters

Registered voters who do not declare a particular party affiliation are grouped together under the term "independent".

Because most voters registered for a particular party will vote for that party's candidate, general election campaigns will generally focus on winning over these groups.

Nationwide around a third of all voters consider themselves independent, however some key states have a higher proportion of independent voters than others.

New Hampshire, for example, traditionally has a large independent sector and as a result has a reputation for producing unexpected results during its primary elections.