All the controversy around the Presidential Election made me wonder how things have changed over time. I also wondered what percent of the eligible population normally casts votes for President.
In the 2016 Presidential Election, 69% of voters are white, 12% are African-American, 12% are Hispanic and 4% are Asian. Since 2012 the white percentage as dipped (older whites are passing away) and the voter eligible Hispanic population has grown (birth rate). The total number of eligible voters in 2016 is just under 226 million people out of a population of 324 million. This is in line with what I expected to find. (Source: Pew Research)
On the other hand I found startling news in Wikipedia when I looked for voter turnout as a percent of the general population. In 1860 it reached its highest level when it jumped to 81.2%, probably because the country was about to enter the Civil War. OK, so what about “modern times?” In 1900 it was 73.2%. In 1932 it was 56.9%. In 1960 (Kennedy vs Nixon) it was 62% and in 1968 (Viet Nam) it was 60.7%. Those last two were contentious years. Since 1968, the average turnout for a Presidential Election is in the 50+% range, not very impressive. (Source: The American Presidency Project). However the actual number of people voting has gone from 68.8 million in 1968, to 129 million in 2012. This is due to population growth. So while the percentages seem flat, the actual numbers are growing.
Early on in our history only land owners could vote. African-Americans couldn’t vote until after the Civil War. Women couldn’t vote until the 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920. The Baby Boomers began arriving after 1945. And our 18-year-old citizens couldn’t vote for President until 1972.
If you find these numbers confusing, so do I. Searching online for this information has raised other questions I don’t know how to pursue. For instance, the American Presidency Project shows 235 million eligible voters in 2012 while Pew Research shows only 226 million eligible for this year. Where could 9 million voters have gone? Donald would have fun with that statistic.
Oct 27, 2016 @ 16:59:27
Thanks for all that information on voting and the percentages. Back in the day they weren’t as free with voting privileges. Women couldn’t vote til 1920??? unreal…
Oct 27, 2016 @ 17:24:57
Unfortunately, quite a few Women today take it for granted I think. Quite a few women did not know what to do with the vote in 1920 so they voted as the men in their family told them. I think that influence
has not changed too much.
Nov 09, 2016 @ 11:49:20
There is much data and analysis on the internet. The historical comparisons are problematic because of slavery, Jim Crow, many other voter laws that vary by states and change over time. The biggest problem is the question of what is the denominator. Only those registered to vote and actually can vote will reflect true voter turnout. If you counted every adult in the country, probably never have even 1/2 voted in this country. I live in Florida, and during the “hotly contested” primaries that led to this presidential nightmare (no matter which one you voted for) only about 18% of eligible, registered voters cast ballots…..
And yes, I agree that the numbers don’t match in many cases. I have seen official numbers from state boards of elections that don’t match many other sites, for example???
Total of citizens 18 years and older
see — 227,019,486
http://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/voting-and-registration/electorate-profiles-2016.html
United States 55.6% of Voted Eligible Population after removing (1) non-citizens, (2) prison population, (3) those on probation, (4) those on parole, (5) additional felon ineligible. This denominator does not include those incarcerated in psychiatric facilities, transient homeless who likely will not vote, many uncounted illegal immigrants, and others who “fall through the cracks.”
see —
http://www.electproject.org/2016g