What is Nonpartisan?

The term “nonpartisan” can describe a political system, process, or person that is not affiliated with any particular political party. This can include elections, appointments, and policy-making processes that are open to candidates from a wide range of backgrounds and viewpoints.

In the United States, nonpartisan elections are often used at the local level. For example, most school board races are nonpartisan. In these elections, candidates do not declare a party affiliation and are instead judged on their qualifications and experience. This can create a more open and inclusive political process that is not dominated by the two major political parties.

Nonpartisan approaches to policy-making can also be effective in fostering more collaborative and consensus-based decision-making. For example, some states have established nonpartisan redistricting commissions to redraw legislative districts. This approach can help to reduce the influence of partisan politics on the redistricting process.

Nonpartisan approaches to governance can help break the stranglehold of the two major parties and create a more diverse and representative democracy. By removing party labels from the ballot, nonpartisan elections can also allow independent candidates to be judged on their own merits, rather than by their lack of party backing. This can help to create a more level playing field overall.

According to data from Gallup, as high as 51% of American voters identify as Independents, which suggests that there is a significant demand for nonpartisan approaches to governance in the United States. By encouraging the use of nonpartisan elections and supporting the efforts of nonpartisan candidates to participate in the political process, we can create a more open and inclusive political system that works for everyone.

Visit our blog to learn more about the differences between partisan and nonpartisan politics.