Independents hold the 'key to election' in the wake of Ginsburg’s death

All eyes will be watching how independent and undecided voters react to the Republicans' move to fill the Supreme Court vacancy so close to the US election, according to the San Francisco Chronicle’s Joe Garofoli. President Donald Trump has vowed to fill the vacancy on America’s highest court in the wake of liberal icon Justice Ruth Bader’s death on Saturday, Australian Eastern Standard time. The move has inflamed passions, with Democrats accusing the Republicans of hypocrisy after Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell refused to hold a vote on Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland in 2016, citing the close proximity to the election. Merrick Garland was nominated 11 months before the presidential election, any Trump nominee will be nominated less than two months before a presidential election. If President Trump successfully replaced Justice Ginsburg, it would entrench a 6-3 conservative majority. Mr Garofoli told Sky News the Supreme Court issue will increase conservative and liberal voter turnout but the election will be decided by independents in key swing states. “The news of Justice Ginsberg passing definitely changes the race here, it will help both sides in some way, it will help the turnout for both Republicans and Democrats,” he said. “The key here is how will independent voters think of this. “Are they going to be turned off that a justice is going to be rushed within six weeks, essentially, or possibly in the lame duck session afterwards. “Those are the voters we are going to be watching."