Independent voters a major factor in CD3

I am very curious why independent voters (“unaffiliated”) were left out of the Glenwood Springs Post Independent series of articles about “CD3 voter reviews mixed bag on Rep. Lauren Boebert’s start”? This letter is also addressed to the other corporate-owned newspapers in the 3rd Congressional District — Steamboat Pilot, The Aspen Times, Vail Daily and the Craig Daily Press.

It is a common occurrence that the voice and opinions of independent voters are ignored by the news media in this country. Frequently, the news media forgets that independent voters in Colorado and the rest of the nation are the largest voting bloc in America. Almost 50 percent of the registered voters in America are independents.

Allow me to illustrate the impact of independent voters in Colorado. Independent voters are the largest segment of voters in the CD3. According to the March 2021 active voter statistics from the Colorado Secretary of State’s website, independent voters total 206,883, Republicans total 164,329, and Democrats total 136,312. These numbers usually translate into independent voters being the deciding factor in who gets elected to office in Colorado.

By the way, look at this statistic. According to a November 2, 2020, news story by Meghan Lopez, The Denver Channel, 240,000 voters have left both the Republican and Democratic parties in Colorado since 2014. Many of these voters switched to independent. Today, independent voters represent 42% of the registered voters in Colorado. This number is too large to be ignored.

I hope that the Post Independent and the other newspapers in CD3 will consider interviewing independent voters on this subject as well as other issues concerning the 3rd Congressional District.

Randy Fricke

Co-founder, Western Colorado Independent Voters

Co-chair, National Election Reform Committee

New Castle