Posted on 06/14/2002 12:23:05 PM PDT by jla
Anyone know of a source that lists the percentage of eligible voters vs. those who actually voted, in Presidential elections since 1789?
My question comes about because I read an opinion that if we had more convenient means for people to vote nowadays, that the turn-out would be greater.
My first thought after reading this was that voter turn-out would've been greater in Colonial times, and probably up to the early 1900's, than it was afterwards, up to today.
A $25 poll tax would improve things.
They give percent of voting-age population which actually turned out, state by state, for the last several presidental elections (cryptically labeled "% VAP").
The percent turnout data doesn't go back before 1960, but it does go back before "motor voter". Also - somewhere on the site, he discusses the sources he used to assemble the data. That might point you to other sources, if interested.
As well, we really need to crack down on voter fraud. People who show up to vote need to present proof of identification and citizenship. It is way too easy to pretend you are somebody else and it is way too easy to fill out ballots for those who never show up.
That's www.uselectionatlas.org.
Hey - my Wife has even brought up how bad our Nation has become since the Ladies received the vote. . .
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