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Monday, April 18, 2016

The Adirondacks and the Current Presidential Election

In my life thus far, I cannot remember a presidential election that has been so widely publicized or discussed as the current one. Every time I turn on the news or check my Twitter feed I come across something crazy one of the candidates said that day. More and more I find myself shying away from the extremes that both the Democratic and Republican parties are expressing as I find it too difficult to align entirely with one side. The political canvas is changing across the country, and in the Adirondacks, because of the unusual candidates in this year’s election.

The majority of park inhabitants identify as Republicans (37.5%). The breakdown below shows how party affiliation differs across counties. Franklin County is home to the highest percentage of Democratic enrollments – 38%. Hamilton County is home to the highest percentage of Republican enrollments – 58% . And Clinton County is home to the highest percentage of non-majority party enrollments – 33%. The parks voter enrollment currently favors the Republican party, but three counties lean towards the Democrats.






More and more voters in the park, however, are identifying outside the major political parties.  According to North Country Public Radio, more people in the park are “registering with minority parties, as Independent, or opting out affiliation entirely.” This has been going on for the last four election cycles. Additionally, Republican enrollment has decreased 13.7% since 2000. And Democratic enrollments are only down slightly since 2012. If the current trend continues the majority of the park will no longer identify as Republicans, but as members of minority parties. What will that do to the park itself? Will any of the economic, social, or environmental aspects change drastically? For now, only time may tell.


1 comment:

  1. This is a fascinating post! I wonder if this trend extends beyond just the Adirondacks. If so, what will this mean for the next election?

    ReplyDelete