Voter Turnout Presidential Elections Historical

Popkin the myth of the vanishing voter american political science review 95 2001.

Voter turnout presidential elections historical. The historical trends in voter turnout in the united states presidential elections have been determined by the gradual expansion of voting rights from the initial restriction to white male property owners aged 21 or older in the early years of the country s independence to all citizens aged eighteen or older in the mid 20th century. In 1880 james a. Proquest historical statistics of the united states 2020 table 441.

Since 1964 voter turnout rates in u s. Garfield became the nation s 20th president with the smallest popular vote victory in. Presidential elections have generally decreased across all age groups except for those over the age of 65.

For example a 1911 new jersey law requiring residents to register to vote in person before election day is largely responsible for state voter turnout dropping from 82 4 in 1908 to 69 1 in 1912. In 1900 the year that republican william mckinley won reelection the voter turnout was 73 7 percent. Voter turnout in u s.

Presidential elections in 1908 stood at 65 4 percent. Since 1964 voter turnout rates in u s. Us house of representatives office of the clerk statistics of the presidential and congressional election.

The mid late 19th century saw multiple elections with voter turnouts above 80 percent.