With the upcoming elections in mind, the U.S. Census Bureau has just released historical voting-rate data. I have to admit I've been living in the past when it comes to Utah's voting data. I remember the good old days when three-fourths of Utah's citizen population over the age of 18 voted in a presidential election. (Typically, voter turnout is highest for presidential elections.) However, in 2008, Utah's citizen voting rate dropped to 53 percent. . .only one state showed a lower rate--Hawaii. Of course, Utah's demographics may have something to do with its low 2008 voting rate. . .Utah's the youngest state in the nation and young voters are less likely to cast their ballots than are older voters.
Interestingly, in Utah, the two presidential years with the lowest voting rates were 1996 and 2008 (click the "Utah Historical" tab in the graphic below). In both these years, a Democratic candidate won the presidential election (Clinton and Obama). Could "red" Utah's perception of the presidential race affect voter turnouts? Perhaps not. Utah's highest voting rate in recent history occurred in 1992 along with another Democratic presidential victory for Clinton.
You can download historical voting rate data from the graphic below or check out the
Census Bureau website for more detailed information by educational attainment, race, gender, labor force participation, etc.
