How is voter turnout measured in the us

These include institutional factors such as the type of electoral system used and whether voting is compulsory or not. Socio-economic factors such as the literacy rate, the wealth of a nation, its population size, and its "human development" level, and political factors such as the "competitiveness" of the election, have all been proposed as having a direct impact upon voter turnout.

Are there countries in the world which do not practice universal suffrage? There are many countries in the world that do not have democratic elections and where suffrage rights are obviously limited. Which countries in the world practice compulsory voting?

A number of countries in the world practice compulsory voting according to their electoral laws. Voting Age Population VAP refers to the total number of potential voters of voting age in a given country. The VAP figure is a rough estimate and it does not take into account the fact that there might be people who are above voting age but still not enfranchised due to legal or systemic barriers.

The estimate gives an approximate figure of the number of eligible people but it does not reflect the exact number. VAP might differ largely from the number of registered people since registration in many countries is voluntary or not accurate. In countries where registration is compulsory and automatic, and based on the civil register, for example as in the Scandinavian countries, the VAP figure and the number of registered voters are quite close.

Where can I find some country specific information on election administration and data on electoral practices? It is a comprehensive and systematic collection of information on every aspect relating to the organisation and implementation of elections. Access the ACE network at www. Which is the minimum voting age? The most common voting age in the world is 18 years. Twenty or twenty-one is also used in some countries. Some countries such as Argentina, Austria, Brazil, and Cuba have the lowest voting age in the world and allow 16 year olds to vote.

The highest voting age is 21 and this is practised in several countries such as Lebanon, Oman, Tonga and Singapore. What is voting by mail and internet voting? Voting by mail is the most common form of absentee voting. There has been much discussion on the use of Internet voting as a method for increasing voter turnout at elections. In some countries, the VAP figure is smaller than the number of registered voters.

How is this possible? The fact that some countries display a larger number of registered voters than voting age population VAP might seem odd. In some cases this is the result of a typo or inaccurate information provided by the EMB, but it might also be caused by a number of issues relating to both the process of registration and the actual estimation of the figures.

The first thing that is important to remember is that the figures for voting age population are always based on estimates. As with all estimates, the numbers might be significantly different from the true values. Also, worthy of notice is that the data collected for VAP on the one hand, and the data for registered voters on the other, are acquired from different sources mainly the Electoral Management Body in the case of the latter, and UN Demographic Yearbook for the former.

There are even more ways to calculate turnout. Using those calculations, U. Since , voting-age turnout has remained within an 8. However, turnout varies considerably among different racial, ethnic and age groups. In several other OECD countries, turnout has drifted lower in recent decades.

On the other hand, turnout in recent elections has bumped up in several OECD countries. Fresh data delivered Saturday mornings. It organizes the public into nine distinct groups, based on an analysis of their attitudes and values. Even in a polarized era, the survey reveals deep divisions in both partisan coalitions. Use this tool to compare the groups on some key topics and their demographics.

Pew Research Center now uses as the last birth year for Millennials in our work. President Michael Dimock explains why. Government is a distant concept rather than a daily concern, which may drive down turnout.

In , for example, the Census Bureau reported that only Once a person has retired, reliance on the government will grow if he or she draws income from Social Security, receives health care from Medicare, and enjoys benefits such as transportation and social services from state and local governments. AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, is one of the most influential interest groups because senior citizens are known to vote at nearly double the rate of young people b , thanks in part to their increased reliance on government programs as they age.

Due to consistently low turnout among the young, several organizations have made special efforts to demonstrate to younger citizens that voting is an important activity. Rock the Vote began in , with the goal of bringing music, art, and pop culture together to encourage the youth to participate in government. The organization hosts rallies, festivals, and concerts that also register voters and promote voter awareness, bringing celebrities and musicians to set examples of civic involvement.

Rock the Vote also maintains a website that helps young adults find out how to register in their state. These efforts may have helped in and , when the number of youth voting in the presidential elections increased. On August 23, , the Obama campaign texted supporters directly in order to announce that he had selected Senator Joe Biden D-DE as his running mate b.

The high level of interest Obama inspired among college-aged voters was a milestone in modern politics. Since the passage of the Twenty-Sixth Amendment, which lowered the voting age from 21 to 18, voter turnout in the under range has been low. While opposition to the Vietnam War and the military draft sent In , however, it briefly increased to 45 percent from only 32 percent in What qualities should a presidential or congressional candidate show in order to get college students excited and voting?

Among those who have completed college, the voter turnout rate jumps to 75 percent of eligible voters, compared to about This is due in part to the powerful effect of education, one of the strongest predictors of voting turnout. Income also has a strong effect on the likelihood of voting. Once high income and college education are combined, the resulting high socioeconomic status strongly predicts the likelihood that a citizen will vote. Race is also a factor.

Caucasians turn out to vote in the highest numbers, with 63 percent of white citizens voting in In comparison, 62 percent of African Americans, Voting turnout can increase or decrease based upon the political culture of a state, however. Hispanics, for example, often vote in higher numbers in states where there has historically been higher Hispanic involvement and representation, such as New Mexico, where 49 percent of Hispanic voters turned out in While less of a factor today, gender has historically been a factor in voter turnout.

After , when the Nineteenth Amendment gave women the right to vote, women began slowly turning out to vote, and now they do so in high numbers. Today, more women vote than men. In , While women do not vote exclusively for one political party, 41 percent are likely to identify as Democrats and only 25 percent are likely to identify as Republicans.

Just as political scientists and campaign managers worry about who does vote, they also look at why people choose to stay home on Election Day. Over the years, studies have explored why a citizen might not vote.

The reasons range from the obvious excuse of being too busy 19 percent to more complex answers, such as transportation problems 3. One prominent reason for low national turnout is that participation is not mandated.

Some countries, such as Belgium and Turkey, have compulsory voting laws, which require citizens to vote in elections or pay a fine. This helps the two countries attain VAP turnouts of 87 percent and 86 percent, respectively, compared to the U. Sweden and Germany automatically register their voters, and 83 percent and 66 percent vote, respectively.

Do you wonder what voter turnout looks like in other developed countries? Visit the Pew Research Center report on international voting turnout to find out. South Korea also had an impressive turnout of Check our upcoming releases. Feel free to contact us anytime using our contact form or visit our FAQ page. Need infographics, animated videos, presentations, data research or social media charts? More Information.

Skip to main content. Single Accounts Corporate Solutions Universities. Follow Statista. Description This chart shows the share of the voting age population that voted in the most recent national election. Download Chart. You will find more infographics at Statista.