US midterms: What to know about independent voters and candidates

As Americans prepare to vote in the November 3 midterm elections, nearly half of US voters—as many as 117 million adults—identify as independents, a group that could influence control of Congress and state legislatures. Despite the record numbers, independent voters often lean toward one of the two major parties, while independent and third-party candidates rarely win seats. Rick Bennett, a former Maine Republican Party chair running for governor as an independent, says the electoral system frustrates voters’ independence. Political scientist AJ Simmons says candidates outside the Democratic and Republican parties have struggled for decades to attract broad support.