# US midterms: What to know about independent voters and candidates

https://mins.news/en/item/124921

- Al Jazeera, 2026-11-02 03:53 UTC
- Politics
- Original: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/11/2/us-midterms-what-to-know-about-independent-voters-and-candidates?traffic_source=rss

> A record number of Americans identify as politically independent, and their votes could help decide control of Congress and state legislatures. Yet independent and third-party candidates rarely win federal or state seats, as electoral rules and voters’ concerns about viability and splitting the vote favor Democrats and Republicans.

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