Most Americans want a third party, poll shows. But, would they vote for one?

A near-record high share of Americans believe the Democratic and Republican parties are failing to represent them and that a third political party is needed, according to a new Gallup survey.

Yet despite that sentiment, few Americans say they are firmly committed to voting for a third-party contender, and many acknowledge they would abandon such a candidate if they faced low odds of winning.

“While U.S. institutional structures like single-member districts and the Electoral College have long been cited as barriers to successful third parties, perceptual barriers held by voters may be just as difficult to overcome,” Gallup noted.

The poll — conducted Sept. 2-16 — sampled 1,000 U.S. adults and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Strong support for third party

Respondents were asked: “In your view, do the Republican and Democratic Parties do an adequate job of representing the American people, or do they do such a poor job that a third major party is needed?”

A strong majority, 62%, said that a third party is required. This is one point shy from the record-high 63% who said the same in 2023.

In contrast, just 30% of Americans said that the Republican and Democratic parties are doing a good enough job. This is the lowest such figure on record — aside from the 26% who said the same in 2013.

When the latest results were broken down by partisan affiliation, some notable differences emerged.

The vast majority of independents, 74%, said a third party is needed in the American political system. Meanwhile, 58% of Democrats and 43% of Republicans expressed the same sentiment — a split that follows a well-known pattern.

“Typically, Republicans’ and Democrats’ beliefs in the need for a third party have varied depending on whether their party controls the presidency,” Gallup noted. “More partisans are supportive of a third party when the opposition is in power.”

Weak commitment to third party candidates

Even with historic support for a third party, only a small share of voters are prepared to follow through at the ballot box.

Just 15% of respondents said they are “very likely” to vote for a non-major party candidate in an election, while 40% said they are “somewhat likely” to do so. On the flip side, 16% said they are “not at all likely” to back a third party contender, and 28% said they are “not very likely” to do so.

A sizable share of independents, 29%, described themselves as greatly likely to cast their ballot for such a candidate, while 9% of Democrats and 7% of Republicans said the same.

The survey also asked how respondents would vote if they thought a third-party candidate was best qualified but polls or experts suggested that candidate had little chance of winning.

In this scenario, a majority, 54%, said they would opt to vote for a Democratic or Republican candidate, while 44% said they would still back the third-party candidate.

History of third party candidates

Throughout U.S. history, third-party candidates have faced significant challenges, often struggling to gain traction due to institutional obstacles such as the winner-take-all electoral system, which inherently favors the two dominant parties.

Another major hurdle is the widespread concern over the “spoiler effect,” where voters hesitate to support a third-party candidate out of fear that doing so will waste their vote or unintentionally help elect their least preferred major-party candidate.

While several third-party or independent candidates have made significant impacts on presidential elections, none have won the race to the White House.

The most successful third-party presidential candidate was Theodore Roosevelt. After serving two terms as a Republican president, Roosevelt ran for a third term under the Bull Moose Party in 1912. He won more than 27% of the popular vote and carried six states, but ultimately lost to Woodrow Wilson.

More recently, Ross Perot, an independent candidate, garnered about 19% of the popular vote in 1992, losing to Bill Clinton.

In Congress, third party contenders have fared slightly better, though they’ve never garnered enough support to develop sizable coalitions to rival Democrats and Republicans. For example, Sens. Bernie Sanders and Angus King are both currently serving in the Senate as independents, though they caucus with Democrats.

This story was originally published October 20, 2025 at 1:47 PM with the headline "Most Americans want a third party, poll shows. But, would they vote for one?."