FOLLOW US

Barring a major change at the eleventh hour, this year's White House election will come down to Joe Biden vs. Donald Trump. Both politicians have secured enough delegates to represent their parties in November and are therefore the defacto nominees.

This is the reality despite months of polls showing that many Americans preferred not to see another round of the 2020 presidential election. Trump and Biden each faced primary challengers; though in the end, none of the alternate contenders managed to make it across the finish line this time.

Going into the general election, Biden and Trump will have to secure crossover support, in addition to carrying the votes from their own bases. To this end, the president is trying to court Americans who supported former UN ambassador Nikki Haley over Trump in the GOP primary.

Though a new Gallup poll reveals Independent voters aren't very happy with the defacto nominees of the Republican or Democratic Parties.

Here's where Independent voters stand

Over the past several years, Independents have become an increasingly larger and more relevant voting bloc. In some states, winning an election without their support is virtually impossible. To secure the White House, the Independent vote is a must.

Yet, new polling indicates Trump and Biden both have a lot of work to do in winning over this coalition. 42% of Independent voters believe neither candidate would do well during a second term.

Of the Independents who share this view, 46% also expressed their willingness to back a third-party contender. This is something that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and groups like No Labels are hoping to capitalize on.

Controversy surrounding third parties

Last month, No Labels confirmed it would run a ticket, thus giving voters another candidate to support beyond Trump or Biden. The bipartisan, centrist group, in making this announcement, pointed to various data that shows malaise with both major political parties.

Yet, many in the Democrat Party aren't pleased about this. The common argument is that third party contenders can't win, but can siphon away enough votes to tip the election either in favor of Republicans or Democrats.

RFK Jr., in particular, remains under fire from Democrats who believe he will hurt Biden electorally and, by extension, hand Trump a second term.