in salem, 42% of the registered voters are republicans and 44% are democrats. the other 217 are independents. how many registered voters are there in salem?

86% are R or D. Therefore 14% of registered voters = 217

.14x = 217

Solve for x.

15.5

To find the total number of registered voters in Salem, we need to add up the percentages of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents.

Given that 42% of the registered voters are Republicans, and 44% are Democrats, we can assume that the remaining percentage represents Independents.

To calculate the total number of registered voters, follow these steps:

Step 1: Add the percentages of Republicans and Democrats.
42% + 44% = 86%

Step 2: Subtract the total percentage from 100% (since 100% represents the entire group of registered voters).
100% - 86% = 14%

Step 3: Convert the remaining percentage into a decimal by dividing it by 100.
14 ÷ 100 = 0.14

Step 4: Use the calculated decimal to find the number of registered voters corresponding to that percentage.
0.14 * Total number of registered voters = 217

To solve for the total number of registered voters, divide both sides of the equation by 0.14:
Total number of registered voters = 217 ÷ 0.14

Now, let's calculate it:

Total number of registered voters = 1,550

Therefore, there are 1,550 registered voters in Salem.