Voters are open to third party — just not one founded by Elon Musk, poll finds
Many Americans are open to voting for a third party — just not one founded by Elon Musk, according to new polling.
In the latest Quinnipiac University survey, nearly half of respondents, 49%, said they would consider joining a third political party, while 45% said they would not entertain this idea.
But, these figures shifted dramatically at the mention of Musk, who revealed his intention to launch his own party, the America Party, after falling out with President Donald Trump.
Just 17% of respondents said they would consider voting for a third party created by the billionaire CEO of SpaceX and Tesla. Meanwhile, an overwhelming majority, 77%, said they would not.
“There is a healthy appetite for a third party among American voters,” Tim Malloy, a Quinnipiac analyst, said in the poll. “But with Elon Musk leading the way, not so much.”
Partisan breakdown
In the poll — which sampled 1,290 registered voters July 10-14 — a significant partisan divide emerged on the topic of third parties.
When asked about a generic third party, support was the strongest among independents, with 75% saying they’d be open to joining one. Meanwhile, 39% of Democrats and 28% of Republicans said the same.
However, when asked about a third party founded by Musk, just 22% of independents said they would consider supporting it, marking a 53-point shift.
Support also dropped by 33 points among Democrats, with 6% saying they’d entertain the idea of voting for Musk’s party.
The smallest shift came among Republicans, with 18% saying they’d think about backing a party founded by Musk, according to the poll, which has a margin of error of 2.7 percentage points.
More on Musk’s party
The poll was released soon after Musk revealed his intention to launch the America Party, which came after he repeatedly asked his online followers for their input.
On July 4, he created a poll on X, asking if we “should create the America Party?”
About 1.2 million users answered, with 65% saying they favored the creation of a new party.
Musk — whose rift with Trump began over the president’s recently enacted spending bill — pounced on the results.
“By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it!” he wrote in a July 5 post. “When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy. Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.”
However, Musk has yet to provide additional information about the new party, and it is not clear if it has been registered with the Federal Election Commission, according to PBS News.
This story was originally published July 17, 2025 at 9:19 AM with the headline "Voters are open to third party — just not one founded by Elon Musk, poll finds."