Voter turnout is a key indicator of the health of popular democracy. The higher it is, the more likely it is that citizens are engaged and able to shape their societies’ policymaking. Yet, many questions remain about what influences turnout.
First, how is turnout measured? Often, news and research reports report the number of votes cast or the percentage of voters who have participated. These measures can vary widely because of differences in practices, policies and laws around registering to vote. The most reliable measurement is of the turnout rate among the citizen voting age population, which excludes non-citizens and those incarcerated. The second measure used is the voting eligible population (VEP) that removes from the denominator non-citizens, those who have been legally declared incapacitated, and those who have been determined by a court to be mentally incapacitated.
Inequality and poverty are key drivers of low voter participation. Americans who have less education, fewer resources and more time-consuming obligations are less likely to vote. For example, taking time off work to vote might be harder for people with children or juggling multiple jobs; traveling to polling places might be harder for those without transportation; and forgetting to register might be more common for those with limited memory.
In addition, political environment can play a role. Some researchers have found that political mudslinging and character attacks tend to decrease voter turnout while substantive arguments on policy issues may increase it.
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