Political Science Professor Discusses Primaries and Independent Voters

As he prepares for another semester teaching Florida politics at Rollins, Rickert said understanding how elections and primaries work is essential for students and voters alike. The debate over whether independent voters should have greater access to primary elections, he suggested, is likely to become increasingly important as the number of nonpartisan voters continues to grow.

Rickert explained that the primary election process is designed to allow political parties to select their nominees for the general election. Under Florida law, Democrats can vote only in Democratic primaries, and Republicans can vote only in Republican primaries. Voters registered with no party affiliation, commonly known as independents, are generally excluded from those races unless all candidates qualify without party opposition.

According to Rickert, the system locks millions of Floridians out of the candidate-selection process. More than 3 million Florida voters are registered with no party affiliation, representing about 24% of the state’s active registered voters. He said the impact is especially significant in Florida, where many legislative and congressional districts are considered safely Republican or Democratic following redistricting.

Rickert pointed to a broader national trend of voters moving away from traditional party affiliations. Citing recent Gallup findings, he noted that 45% of U.S. adults identified as political independents in 2025, the highest level Gallup has recorded.