How Independents Have Voted

Election Year
% of voters who were Independent
Who they voted for
Who won
1976 41% R +4 Carter (D)
1980 23% R +25 Reagan (R)
1984 26% R +28 Reagan (R)
1988 26% R +14 Bush (R)
1992 27% D +6 Clinton (D)
1996 22% D +7 Clinton (D)
2000 26% R +2 Bush (R)
2004 26% D +2 Bush (R)
2008 29% D +8 Obama (D)
2012 29% R +5 Obama (D)
2016 31% R +4 Trump (R)

Notes

Net support is the percentage point difference between the top two vote-earners in a given year.