What was the voter turnout rate in 2012?

The 2012 turnout rate of 58.2% is just slightly higher than the 1992 rate of 58.1%, arguably one of the more exciting recent elections due to the uncertainty surrounding the three-way race between George H.W. Bush, Ross Perot and Bill Clinton. Despite a dip in the road, American citizens continue to be politically engaged.

How has voter turnout changed in the United States?

The graph of voter turnout percentages shows a dramatic decline in turnout over the first two decades of the twentieth century, ending in 1920 when the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution granted women the right to vote across the United States.

Does voter turnout decline when a president fails to win reelection?

Perhaps a turnout decline is to be expected for successfully reelected presidents. Presidents who fail to win reelection are defeated when a majority of citizens desire a new direction for the country, while citizens approve the job performance of those who win reelection. It is easier to mobilize people against than to approve a political figure.

Does gender affect voter turnout?

There was no systematic collection of voter turnout data by gender at a national level before 1964, but smaller local studies indicate a low turnout among female voters in the years following Women’s suffrage in the United States.

What legislation has been passed to increase turnout?

The effects of other legislation intended to increase turnout, such as the National Voter Registration Act, have been more limited to specific administrative practices across states. This explainer was last updated on April 28, 2021. What is ‘voter turnout’?

Why are voter turnout numbers different in each state?

Often, states and news sources will provide turnout numbers that use registration as the denominator. This results in inconsistent measurements across states due to inconsistent practices, policies, and/or laws around the maintenance of their voter registration lists.

Can we use public opinion surveys to measure voter turnout?

To guard against over-reporting turnout in surveys, some studies use voter registration records to independently verify whether respondents voted, but few do. Even with the problems of over-reporting, public opinion surveys are usually the only way we can study the turnout patterns of subpopulations of voters, such as regional or racial groups.