Voter Participation

What do the data show?

The national trend in voter participation has been fairly stable and we have been improving relative to other countries. Our international standing depends somewhat on whether we focus on presidential elections or congressional elections.

What might explain these patterns?

The striking difference in our international standing between presidential and congressional elections is partially due to the US having separate elections for the executive and legislative branches. Elections that involve the selection of a single leader (for example, a president) will naturally have higher turnouts when those elections occur. However, the US also ranks below most countries that have similarly structured elections. These factors likely make our voter engagement appear lower than it is.

Either way, our voter participation rate is mediocre by global standards. One reason for this is that some countries mandate election participation. Additional possible reasons include the limited use of automatic voter registration and the choice of voting days. The US holds its elections on workdays, while many others choose weekends or make the day a holiday. Many areas also have few voting places that are far away and involve long wait times, though mail-in voting has become much more widespread in recent years. Voter ID requirements are also increasing though it is not clear that our requirements over this period have been different from other countries.