Include the independents State government, as well as the party itself, might benefit if Florida Democrats pursue a plan to open their primaries to independent voters.
Independents are a fast-growing and increasingly important group.
Just 2.2 percent of Florida's voters in 1970, they now represent nearly 14 percent - enough to tilt the balance in close races. State law doesn't allow people to vote in a primary unless they are members of that party but that could be changed by the Legislature, or the courts. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1986 that political parties are free to decide who can participate in their primaries. Even if the system is changed, the impact on Democrats might be negligible. Republicans almost certainly would also open their primaries.