Today's stories from independents include quotes from Frank Carr, Grant Ahlman and Isabella Knapp. If you've like to share your own thoughts and be featured in a future Wednesday release, click here to share your story.

For the last month, we've been collecting the stories of independent voters across the country. Each Wednesday, we publish a few incredible thoughts and quotes from independent voters. While independents might not agree on each and every hot-button political issue, we here at LetUsVote have noticed a trend: independents vote for people and policy, not political parties.

LetUsVote supporter Grant Ahlman said, "As an independent, I am able to be myself and to vote for whoever I feel is right and just, and not the Lesser of Two Evils as we are unfortunately seeing all too frequently."

This matters, especially in 2024: independents are constantly told that they're not really independent at all. That, in fact, they are Republicans and Democrats in independent clothing: "leaners" with the same ideological commitments to political parties. In 2019, Pew Research claimed, "The reality is that most independents are not all that “independent” politically." They said this because, they found that independents tend to vote for one party or the other when push comes to shove.

Of course they do! America is a two party country: there are usually only two viable candidates running for a given office.

"I consider myself to hold views championed by both political sides, so I don’t choose one side or the other." 

This is a quote from Frank Carr, and it seems to summarize the feelings of independents across the country. Isabella Knapp says feels similarly: "I don’t want to choose either side because my views dip into each, I also don’t want to pick a side when they’re too busy trying to blame the other side for everything anyway."

The truth is this: independent voters are thoughtful. They do what they can to rise above partisan division and make decisions at the ballot box based on the individual candidate and their stances on policies that matter to them, not the party letter next to their name.

What about you? Do you agree or disagree? Share your reasons for being an independent voter for a chance to be featured next Wednesday, just like Grant, Frank and Isabella. Click here to share your story.