1.6 Voter Turnout

I. Historical qualifications for voting


A. Race – eliminated by the 15th Amendment

B. Sex – eliminated by the 19th Amendment

C. Income – eliminated by the 24th Amendment banning the poll tax

D. Literacy – eliminated by the Voters Rights Act of 1965

E. Minimum age of 21 – eliminated by the 26th Amendment


II. Current qualifications (set by the states)


A. Citizenship

B. Residency

C. Age

D. Registration (in all states but North Dakota)

E. Photo ID Laws


III. Voter turnout in the United States as compared to foreign countries


A. United States - ~ 55% in presidential elections, 30 – 40 % in midterm, or congressional elections.  (Even lower in state/local elections)  A decline in voter turnout since 1960.

B. Comparable industrialized nations in the West have much higher voter turnout: as high as 80%.  This statistic is deceiving because:

1. The U.S. does not impose penalties (fines, government papers stamped “DID NOT VOTE”) for not voting, as other countries do.

2. Other nations have multi-party systems that allow for more choice, and perhaps a more meaningful vote.

3. Other nations have same day/automatic registration.


IV. Reasons for low voter turnout in the United States


A. Institutional barriers

1. Registration: (assumption that easing or eliminating it would add ~ 10% to turnout).  National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (“Motor Voter Bill”) was designed to increase voter turnout.

a. Allows people to register when renewing license or car.

b. Various public offices also offer registration forms as well as online.

c. Requires states to allow registration by mail.

→ Reality: has not increased turnout significantly since induction

2. Type of election:

a. General election turnout > primary election turnout

b. Chief executive (presidential) turnout > legislative (congressional) election turnout

c. National election turnout > state election turnout

3. Voter ID Laws - New Trend

4. Young people tend to have the lowest turnout → when the 26th Amendment was ratified turnout actually declined (due to increase of voter pool but disproportionately lower increase in 18 – 20 demographic turnout).

5. Restrictive absentee voting requirements

6. Disenfranchisement of institutionalized populations (felons)

B. Political (Personal) Reasons

1. Lack of political efficacy.

2. Dissatisfaction with candidates, parties, and politics in general (Foley effect?).

3. Lack of strong two-party competition.

4. Weaknesses of parties in mobilizing voters.


V. Historical decline in voting over the past 60 years


A. Reasons

1. Increases in the electorate

a. Young People

b. Minorities

→ As minority groups and young people increase proportionally in the population voting turnout declines.

2. De-alignment – Less party identification

3. Rising cynicism – People don’t vote because they don’t see a difference between candidates and have a declining trust in government.

4. Apathy – just don’t care about politics/too busy

5. Loss of Efficacy – sense that your vote doesn’t matter; doesn’t have an affect on elections.

VI. Who votes?  Who doesn’t?  Who cares?


A. Characteristics of those likely to vote

1. Level of educational achievement – the greatest predictor of voting that cuts across all other factors.  Those with high levels of educational achievement (regardless of race, sex, or income) are more likely to vote than those with low levels.

2. Income – those with higher levels of income are more likely to vote.

3. Age – older voters (except for the really, really, really oldies) are more likely to vote.

4.Race – whites are more likely to vote than blacks, who are more likely to vote than Hispanics.