IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2016 - 33

BY THE NUMBERS
U.S. voter turnout trails
most developed countries
1
2
3
4
SOURCE: PEW RESEARCH CENTER PEWRESE ARCH.ORG/FACT-TANK /2015/05/06/U-S-VOTER-TURNOUT-TRAILS-MOST-DE VELOPED-COUNTRIES
SOURCE: SUPPORT THE VOTER.GOV/FILES/2014/01/AMER-VOTING-EXPER-FINAL-DRAF T-01-09-14-508.PDF
SOURCE: PEWSTATES.ORG/UPLOADEDFILES/ PCS_ ASSETS/2010/ONLINE_VOTER_REG.PDF
SOURCE: SUPPORT THE VOTER.GOV/FILES/2014/01/AMER-VOTING-EXPER-FINAL-DRAF T-01-09-14-508.PDF

2012 US voter turnout

US (53.6%)

Belgium (87.2%)
Turkey (86.4%)
Sweden (82.6%)

28 countries around the world have mandatory
voting, according to the International Institute
for Democracy and Electoral Assistance. Though
mandatory-voting laws aren't always strictly
enforced, their mere existence can have a
significant impact on turnout. For example, in Chile,
voter turnout decreased dramatically after the
country moved to voluntary voting. In Chile's 2010
presidential election, voter turnout was recorded
at 87% of registered voters. In 2013, following the
change to voluntary voting, turnout dropped to 42%.

Before and after voting
redesign initiatives

After the adoption of
an online system, voter
registration increased
among voters aged
18 to 24

53%

29%

In 2008, the state also recorded that 94 percent
of online registrants voted, compared to 85 percent
who registered by paper.

Turnout in Arizona in 2008
3

94%
85%

93%
73%

Online
Registrants

Paper
Registrants

Per the report from the Presidential Commission
on Election Administration, Arizona's adoption of
an online system caused state voter registration
to increase from 29 percent to 53 percent among
voters aged 18 to 24.

Young Online
Registrants
(under 34yr)

Also in Arizona, 93 percent of voters younger than
34 who registered online turned out to vote in
2008, compared to 73 percent of young voters that
registered via paper. Similar trends were seen in
Washington state.

Young Paper
Registrants

Fun facts from the
Election Administration report

What area of election
administration
needs significant
improvement?

In a nationwide survey, 24 percent of election
officials listed "voting technology and voting
machine capacity" as an area in need of
improvement.
If more than 5 percent of the voting population
speaks a language, the jurisdiction must provide
election materials and polling place assistance
in that language.

24%
Voting
technology and
voting machine
capacity

In 32 states and the District of Columbia,
some kind of early in-person voting is available.

Oregon has "all mail" elections, but 60 percent
of the state's ballots are dropped off at voter dropboxes instead of being returned via mail.

Language
minority

PERSPECTIVE

http://www.SUPPORTTHEVOTER.GOV/FILES/2014/01/AMER-VOTING-EXPER-FINAL-DRAFT-01-09-14-508.PDF http://www.SUPPORTTHEVOTER.GOV/FILES/2014/01/AMER-VOTING-EXPER-FINAL-DRAFT-01-09-14-508.PDF http://www.PEWSTATES.ORG/UPLOADEDFILES/ http://www.PEWRESEARCH.ORG/FACT-TANK/2015/05/06/U-S-VOTER-TURNOUT-TRAILS-MOST-DEVELOPED-COUNTRIES

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2016