Voter turnout is one of the most common ways that we measure the health of democracy. It is also a powerful predictor of a country’s political climate. For example, countries with more democratic political systems have higher voter turnout rates and lower levels of polarization.
The dominant theory on why turnout varies from year to year focuses on what voters see as the costs and benefits of going to the polls. That’s because voters must weigh the chances that their vote will make a difference against the time and effort required to go out and vote. But many other scholars have challenged this view, finding that most people go to the polls because they want their voice to be heard and they believe that voting is intrinsically rewarding.
Other important factors that affect voter turnout include age, race/ethnicity, and gender. For instance, younger citizens typically have lower turnout rates than those aged 65 and older. And women consistently have higher turnout rates than men. But these differences tend to be more pronounced in primary elections, off-year elections for state legislators, and local elections for mayors.
When comparing the turnout of different groups, it’s important to note that public opinion surveys often over-report voting behavior. That’s because survey respondents are often motivated to say they voted in order to appear like good citizens. For that reason, administrative data is a much better source of information on voting patterns.
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