party. In some states, independents are not allowed to vote in primary elections, but in others, they can vote in any primary election of their choice. Although the term "independent" often is used as a synonym for "moderate," "centrist," or "swing voter," to refer to a politician or voter who holds views that incorporate facets of both liberal and conservative ideologies, most self-described independents consistently support one of the two major parties when it comes time to vote, according to Vox Media. As of late 2022, only two independents serve in the U.S. Congress, Senators Angus King and Bernie Sanders. (GovTrack ranks King among the more moderate members of the Senate, near the Senate's ideological center. Sanders describes himself as a "democratic socialist" but who sought nomination by the Democratic Party as their candidate for president in 2016, and whose political platform is said to "define" the "progressive wing" of the Democratic party. According to Ballotpedia, as of 2022, there were 24 seats held by independents in state legislatures (in Wyoming, Vermont, Tennessee, New Hampshire, Mississippi, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Maine, Louisiana, California, Arkansas, Alaska), and 10 seats held by third parties (in Vermont, Maine, New York, Wyoming; seven seats by the Vermont Progressive Party, and one each for the Independent for Maine Party, Independence Party, and Libertarian Party). Notes References Further reading Critchlow, Donald T. American Political History: A Very Short Introduction (2015) Dinkin, Robert J. Campaigning in America: A History of Election Practices. Greenwood (1989) Foley, Edward B. Ballot Battles: The History of Disputed Elections in the United States (Oxford University Press, 2016). xiv, 479 pp. Gould, Lewis. Grand Old Party: A History of the Republicans (2003) online Graff, Henry F., ed. The Presidents: A Reference History (3rd ed. 2002) online, short scholarly biographies from George Washington to William Clinton. Kleppner, Paul, ed. The evolution of American electoral systems (1981) experts review the 1st to 5th party systems. Kurian, George T. ed. The encyclopedia of the Democratic Party (1996) vol 3 online Kurian, George T. ed. The encyclopedia of the Republican Party (4 vol 1996) vol 1-2-4 online Schlozman, Daniel. When Movements Anchor Parties: Electoral Alignments in American History (Princeton University Press, 2015) xiv, 267 pp. Schlesinger, Jr., Arthur Meier ed. History of American Presidential Elections, 1789–2000 (various multivolume editions, latest is 2001). For each election includes history and selection of primary documents. Essays on some elections are reprinted in