It’s time to redefine the ‘swing voter’

The swing voter is back — but in a new form.

Earlier in the 21st century, the dominant view among experts was that swing voters — those who might switch their party preference between elections — were all but extinct. Even today, the number of people who reliably turn out to vote but also regularly flip their votes between parties remains very modest by historical standards.

Yet strategists in both parties believe a new kind of swing voter has emerged as the total number of voters has dramatically increased in the past decade . Today’s key swing voters are the many Americans who cycle in and out of the electorate, casting a ballot in some elections but not others.

“A swing voter today is (one) who does or does not show up to vote,” says Bill McInturff, a veteran Republican pollster.