Voter Turnout - Fairvote

Author: Fair Vote

“Voter Turnout.” FairVote, https://fairvote.org/resources/voter-turnout/. Accessed 13 Feb. 2025.

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Feb-11-25	Link To Website

1/4 Voter Turnout - FairVote fairvote.org/resources/voter-turnout High voter turnout is fundamental to a healthy democracy. Low turnout is often attributed to political disengagement and the widespread belief that voting for one candidate/party or another will do little to alter public policy. Voter turnout in the United States is lower than in most established democracies. This section examines turnout in the United States and offers recommendations to increase it. Join us in our mission SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER On this page Turnout in the United States Voter turnout in the United States is much lower than in other countries, hovering around 60% in presidential elections and 40% in midterm election years. Turnout soars to 90% in countries with mandatory voting and reaches around 70% overall in developed countries. Voter turnout by state Voter turnout in the United States fluctuates in national elections. In recent decades, about 60% of the voting eligible population votes during presidential election years and about 40% votes during midterm elections, with 2020 and 2018 marking the highest presidential and midterm turnout in over a century. 2/4 By international standards, voter turnout in the U.S. is low. In countries with compulsory voting, like Australia, Belgium, and Chile, voter turnout hovered near 90% in the 2000s. Other countries, like Austria, Sweden, and Italy, experienced turnout rates near 80%. Overall, OECD countries experience turnout rates of about 70%. Measuring voter turnout Voter turnout is measured in different ways: a percentage of the population that is old enough to vote (“voting age population turnout”); a percentage of the number of eligible voters (“voting eligible population turnout”); and as a percentage of registered voters (“registered voter turnout”). It is easy to confuse these different measures of voter participation and make misleading inferences about the relative health of our democracy. This is especially true when comparing turnout in the United States (which is often measured in terms of the voting eligible population or the voting age population) to other countries (which tend to measure voter turnout in terms of registered voters). To dig deeper, read FairVote’s Voter turnout: Behind the numbers. How many people in the United States vote? In the first few presidential elections, most states either did not hold popular elections or imposed a property requirement, meaning only White men with property could vote. By 1824, almost all states held popular elections for presidential electors and property requirements were gradually being eliminated.The right to vote was extended to more U.S. residents in three notable ways since then. In 1870, the 15th Amendment established the right to vote for all male citizens regardless of race. However, with the exception of a brief period in the 1870’s, the 15th Amendment proved ineffective at preventing the exclusion of Black citizens from voting in many states until the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In 1920, the 19th Amendment increased the number of eligible voters by ensuring women could vote in all states. In 1971, the 26th Amendment enfranchised 18-20 year olds. What affects voter turnout? Turnout varies greatly by state. In the 2020 presidential election, 80% of eligible voters in Minnesota cast ballots, whereas only 55% of eligible Oklahoman voters did. Many different factors influence voter turnout levels. Electoral competitiveness 3/4 One of the most important factors is the competitiveness of the presidential election in each state. Sixty-nine percent of voters in the 10 most competitive states cast a ballot in 2020, compared to the national average of 66%. Election type Low turnout is most pronounced in primary elections, off-year elections for state legislators and local elections. A 2013 study of 340 mayoral elections found that, on average, a little more than one-quarter of eligible voters turned out. In many cities, mayors have been elected with single-digit turnout. In 2019, Philadelphia’s mayor was elected in a race with just 27% turnout. In the same year in Chicago, 35% of voters turned out for the mayoral general election and 33% turned out for the runoff. Runoff elections tend to have lower turnout than first-round elections, especially if the first round takes place on the same day as several other elections. Of nearly 250 primary runoff elections between 1994 and 2020, all but eight resulted in a decrease in turnout between the initial primary and the runoff. Turnout declined on average by 38%. Additionally, the longer the wait between the initial primary and the runoff, the larger the decrease in voter turnout. Voting laws Voter registration laws, voter identification laws, early voting and polling place accessibility also affect turnout. Demographics Overall, U.S. voters tend to be older, wealthier, more educated, and identify as White than nonvoters. Other demographic differences relate to: Age: Young people are much less likely to vote than older ones. Citizens between the ages of 18 and 29 typically turn out at a rate more than 10 points lower than those who are 30 and older. Race/ethnicity:White people are more likely to vote than people of color. In 2020, turnout among eligible White voters was estimated at 71%; On the other hand, turnout among Black voters and Latino voters was estimated at 63% and 54% respectively. Gender: Women are more reliable voters than men. Women’s turnout has surpassed men’s in every presidential election since 1980. In the 2020 election, 68% of eligible women voters cast a ballot, compared to 65% of eligible male voters. Socioeconomic status: Wealthy Americans vote at much higher rates than those who earn lower incomes. In the 2020 presidential election, turnout was 81% among people whose income was $100,000 – $149,999, compared to 63.6% for those whose income was $30,000 – $39,999. This difference affects public policy: Studies show that Politicians are more likely to respond to the desires of their wealthy constituents than of their lower-income constituents, in part because their wealthy constituents are more likely to vote. 4/4 How can we increase voter turnout? A number of systemic electoral reforms can reverse the contextual reasons for low turnout. Proportional ranked choice voting in legislative elections allows for outcomes that better represent the diverse beliefs of the electorate and can reverse low turnout in winner-take-all plurality districts, where choices are limited. A national popular vote (NPV) for president — which would make every vote in every state equally valuable in every election — would expand presidential campaigns beyond 10 battleground states to all 50. Because turnout is markedly lower in states that get no presidential campaign attention, reallocating campaign resources to include nonbattleground states would likely drive up turnout in those states. Ranked choice voting (RCV) for single-seat offices, like mayor and governor, would better represent the views of third party and Independent voters, as more candidates would be inclined to run. Voters who might not feel that their views are represented in a two-party race would turn out to the polls to support their preferred candidate. Cities that have adopted RCV have seen higher turnout in recent mayoral elections. Universal voter registration would modernize voter registration, making our government responsible for maintaining accurate and complete voter rolls and shifting our system from an opt-in to an opt-out structure. Learn more about FairVote’s featured reforms: ranked choice voting and the Fair Representation Act.

DMU Timestamp: February 05, 2025 02:50

“Voter Turnout.” FairVote, https://fairvote.org/resources/voter-turnout/. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.

DMU Timestamp: February 05, 2025 02:50