The Political World: Voting, Tolerance, and Civility - Who Votes: Turnout By Age

With the exception of seniors, every age group has seen declining rates of voter participation since 1964.

In 1964, the U.S. had 110.6 million people of voting age; 69.3% of them voted. Nearly four decades later, the population had increased 83% to 202.5 million people. But the number of people voting had fallen to 54.7% of the population.

The 18-24 year old category saw the lowest rates, with less than half of that population voting. The decline began after 1971 — curiously after the 26th Amendment lowered the voting age to 21. The cliché is that young people are apathetic about the public sphere, particularly government and politics. There have been drives to mobilize the young voting public, such as the Rock the Vote and Choose or Lose campaigns, which, according to their Web site, registered more than 850,000 young people in 1992 and 1996. But this age group has lost momentum since the 1992 election.

Those aged 25-64 were more inclined to vote, although both groups saw a drop in their rates. Seniors have seen their rates rise and fall over the period, from a low of 62.2% in 1972 to a high of 70.1% in 1992. They have seen an increase in their 2000 turnout compared to 1964. In that year, 66.3% reported voting; by 2000, the rate had increased slightly to 67.6%. Why? Senior citizens have developed into a formidable force, and are voting on issues that matter to them, such as health care and social security. Some explanation may be found in simple lifestyle habits: they vote because they have always voted. They have a stronger sense of history and the power to cast a vote. They may also have deeper convictions about the role of government in their lives.

The 1992 election appeared to galvanize voters. The economy was suffering. Voters responded to Bill Clinton's charisma and his promises of bringing change to the country. H. Ross Perot offered a serious challenge to the two-party system. Voters were motivated — or simply fed up with the state of things — to turn out on Election Day. Every age bracket saw a jump in voter turnout. There was a 20% increase in youth-voter rates, thanks to voter registration programs (and no doubt Clinton's man-of-the-people tactics, from playing his saxophone to discussing his underwear preferences on national television).

The next panels will examine how minorities vote.

Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census. Current Population Reports. Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2000. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, February 2002, p.12.