The moment I checked the box next to the word 'independent' on the voter registration form at my hometown DMV, my father told me I was making a big mistake.
Thinking of the moment as an act of teenage defiance against my heavily Democratic father, I smiled and told him that it was what I believed in. He huffed at me and explained that I had no idea what I had done and looking back on it, I didn't. My views have always leaned generally to the more liberal side but I believed that being independent would provide me with the opportunity to think without any conflicting views.
My hatred for anything to do with politics also fueled my decision to be unaffiliated. The amount of arguments, debates, and chaos that I've seen politics create between friends and family made me steer clear of the topic wholeheartedly. I even tried to avoid taking AP US Government and Politics in high school because I couldn't bear to sit and listen to the uncomfortable conversation that could potentially unfold in the classroom. It sounds unbelievable, but something about politics seemed messy and felt like something I could never understand.
For those who don't know, being politically independent means that a voter who does not align themselves with a political party. While this seemingly gives the individual options, it prevents them from voting in primaries for some states. According to a 2012 study on party identification by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, thirty-eight percent of Americans identify themselves as independents. However, don't lump independents with people who are undecided or politically apathetic. I do believe for many being independent does allow them the freedom to see both party sides and get a better understanding of the platforms and policies being used and/or abused. Not to mention, there comes a lot of stereotypes that come with being affiliated with a certain party that while can be true, also hold a lot of weight and judgment of a person's character. A factor that I found myself afraid of thus hiding behind a label to avoid a label.
I used my affiliation, or lack thereof, as a scapegoat to avoid having to commit to anything. Now, I don't believe being an independent is a mistake, but I do believe that my personal reasoning behind doing so was. For the longest, I refused to be educated about my responsibilities as a voter. I always knew voting of any kind matters and I planned to vote but not for the right reasons. I knew the bare minimum at most, and failed multiple times to educate myself further. Once I started to actually do my research, I found that being independent wasn't what I created the identity to be.
While I did miss the Florida primary due to my Independent voting status, I do plan on changing it one day soon. However, for now, I'm keeping the title to take some time and look at the candidates in play and understand what I can really do as a voter. It's so much more than your favorite celebrity telling you to vote with a catchy tune playing in the background, it's about making a sound contribution for what you believe in.
