2008 General Election Turnout Rates

Last Updated: 4/26/09

All states have now posted offical or certified results. There are a few minor outstanding issues that may revise these numbers slightly. I discuss and provide links to the state election results here.

Please see the FAQ for information on the construction of these statistics. The demoninator data reflect the July 1, 2007 and July 1, 2008 voting-age population estimates extrapolated to Nov. 2008, non-citizen estimates from the 2006 and 2007 American Community Surveys extrapolated to Nov. 2008, the year end-year 2006 DOJ prison report and the end-year 2006 DOJ probation and parole report. The overseas eligible estimate is recently updated with data provided by the Federal Voting Assistance Program.

Special Note on Overseas Citizen Population: This is the first election where I have apportioned overseas voters to the states whereas in the past I have only estimated a national overseas citizen population. For consistency with previous elections, in the turnout rates reported here the national voting-eligible population adjusts for overseas citizens, but the state VEP estimates do not. These state level overseas citizens estimates are provided for those who wish to further adjust state level turnout rates for overseas citizens.

Note that these data provide preliminary estimates of the turnout and voting-eligible population for the November, 2008 election. These statistics are updated continually as new data become available. Most recently, they have been updated for July 1, 2008 voting-age population estimates, which increased the national turnout rate by 0.1 percentage points from previous calculations.

VEP Turnout Rate <recommended statistic> is the vote for highest office divided by the voting-eligible population or VEP. In a midterm election, the vote for highest office is the highest vote tally for Governor, U.S. Senator, or combined House of Representatives. The voting-eligible population is the best estimate of the number of people eligible to vote.
VEP Total Ballots Counted Turnout Rate is the total ballots counted divded by the voting-eligible population. The total ballots cast includes blank and other such ballots, but does not include rejected absentee and provisional ballots. This would be the preferred turnout rate statistic, but all states do not report total ballots cast. To estimate the total ballots cast nationally, the national vote for president is multiplied by 1.0098%, which is the ratio of votes for highest office to the total ballots cast for the states that report both numbers. I expect more states to report their total ballots cast and will update this estimate when more information is available.
VAP Rate is the vote for highest office divided by the voting-age population, all residents age 18 and older. Although not recommended, this statistic is provided for organizations such as polling firms that sample the voting-age population.

Again, please see the FAQ for more information.

State	VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate	VEP Total Ballots Counted Turnout Rate	VAP Turnout Rate	VAP	% Non-citizen	Prison	Probation	Parole	Total Ineligible Felon	Overseas Eligible (See Above)	VEP	Highest Office	Total Turnout
United States	61.7%	62.3%	56.8%	230,917,360	8.6%	1,566,526	2,418,574	587,305	3,363,118	4,972,217	212,720,027	131,304,731	132,588,514
Alabama	61.8%	62.0%	59.1%	3,551,926	2.5%	28,241	55,766	7,795	63,919	74,079	3,398,289	2,099,819	2,105,622
Alaska	68.3%	68.5%	64.2%	508,136	4.2%	5,069	6,095	973	9,090	60,686	477,763	326,197	327,341
Arizona	56.0%	56.7%	47.4%	4,834,316	13.6%	35,892	73,265	6,213	78,738	90,036	4,096,006	2,293,475	2,320,851
Arkansas	53.4%	53.9%	50.3%	2,159,125	3.7%	13,729	31,508	16,666	46,149	43,963	2,033,146	1,086,617	1,095,958
California	61.7%	62.5%	49.4%	27,466,418	18.9%	175,512	0	111,744	287,256	486,207	21,993,429	13,561,900	13,743,177
Colorado	69.8%		64.0%	3,753,483	7.5%	22,481	0	8,196	30,677	71,854	3,441,907	2,401,361
Connecticut	67.2%		61.2%	2,691,354	8.1%	20,566	0	2,571	23,137	45,799	2,451,296	1,646,792
Delaware	66.2%	66.4%	61.6%	669,445	4.6%	7,206	16,958	600	16,285	12,658	622,664	412,398	413,562
District of Columbia	60.7%	60.9%	55.2%	481,565	9.0%	0	0	0	0	6,916	438,201	265,853	266,871
Florida	67.5%	68.0%	58.4%	14,362,864	11.8%	92,969	272,977	4,785	234,243	451,907	12,426,633	8,390,744	8,453,743
Georgia	61.4%		54.7%	7,178,157	7.0%	52,792	422,790	22,851	287,038	141,001	6,390,590	3,924,440
Hawaii	50.5%	50.7%	45.1%	1,004,709	9.9%	5,967	0	0	5,967	20,090	898,922	453,568	456,064
Idaho	63.3%	64.5%	58.6%	1,117,671	4.4%	7,124	48,609	2,482	33,911	26,779	1,034,402	655,032	667,506
Illinois	62.8%	63.4%	56.7%	9,745,274	9.3%	45,106	0	0	45,106	200,530	8,794,625	5,523,051	5,578,195
Indiana	59.4%	60.5%	57.3%	4,803,224	3.0%	26,091	0	0	26,091	89,605	4,634,261	2,751,054	2,805,986
Iowa	69.9%	70.2%	67.0%	2,294,375	3.1%	8,875	22,622	3,560	23,746	43,108	2,199,849	1,537,123	1,543,662
Kansas	62.5%		58.6%	2,108,894	5.2%	8,816	15,518	4,666	21,241	42,495	1,978,713	1,235,872
Kentucky	57.9%	58.9%	55.9%	3,269,074	1.9%	20,000	41,162	10,162	50,743	58,518	3,156,794	1,826,508	1,858,578
Louisiana	62.1%	62.7%	58.8%	3,332,549	2.8%	37,012	38,057	24,072	80,113	68,285	3,158,676	1,960,761	1,979,852
Maine	71.4%	72.7%	70.1%	1,042,872	1.7%	0	0	0	0	21,362	1,024,699	731,163	744,456
Maryland	67.7%	68.2%	61.1%	4,304,170	7.9%	22,945	75,698	14,271	75,065	77,074	3,888,726	2,631,596	2,651,428
Massachusetts	66.2%	66.7%	60.5%	5,088,946	8.4%	11,032	0	0	11,032	77,830	4,652,749	3,080,985	3,102,995
Michigan	68.9%	69.4%	65.7%	7,609,310	3.9%	51,577	0	0	51,577	163,673	7,263,250	5,001,766	5,039,080
Minnesota	78.2%	78.5%	73.2%	3,975,219	4.4%	9,108	127,289	4,007	76,760	70,063	3,721,943	2,910,369	2,921,147
Mississippi	61.0%		59.2%	2,179,170	1.4%	21,068	24,107	1,970	35,092	45,082	2,114,108	1,289,856
Missouri	68.1%		65.0%	4,502,320	2.9%	30,167	54,963	18,374	76,023	96,710	4,296,592	2,925,205
Montana	66.3%	67.1%	65.6%	749,988	0.7%	3,572	0	0	3,572	22,898	741,538	491,960	497,599
Nebraska	62.6%	63.5%	59.8%	1,339,107	3.4%	4,407	18,731	662	14,435	27,311	1,278,980	801,281	811,923
Nevada	58.6%	58.7%	49.9%	1,941,361	13.7%	12,901	13,208	3,518	23,023	45,656	1,652,846	967,848	970,019
New Hampshire	71.3%	72.2%	69.4%	1,024,054	2.3%	2,805	0	0	2,805	25,558	997,247	710,970	719,643
New Jersey	66.2%	66.9%	58.3%	6,639,395	10.4%	27,371	132,636	13,874	107,563	110,559	5,844,477	3,868,237	3,910,220
New Mexico	60.3%	60.6%	55.9%	1,485,995	6.2%	6,639	16,493	2,831	17,717	31,444	1,376,025	830,158	833,365
New York	58.0%	58.6%	50.4%	15,148,270	12.2%	63,315	0	53,533	116,848	263,787	13,183,464	7,640,640	7,721,718
North Carolina	65.8%	66.5%	61.4%	7,023,865	5.4%	37,460	110,419	3,101	95,771	133,483	6,551,412	4,310,789	4,354,571
North Dakota	65.0%	66.0%	63.5%	498,942	2.1%	1,363	0	0	1,363	11,179	486,871	316,621	321,133
Ohio	66.7%	67.6%	65.0%	8,769,030	2.0%	49,166	0	0	49,166	174,703	8,541,239	5,698,260	5,773,387
Oklahoma	56.7%		53.3%	2,742,498	4.4%	26,243	27,415	4,329	44,280	57,046	2,578,351	1,462,661
Oregon	67.8%	68.5%	62.3%	2,935,131	7.7%	13,707	0	0	13,707	63,480	2,695,058	1,827,864	1,845,251
Pennsylvania	64.2%		62.0%	9,699,676	3.0%	44,397	0	0	44,397	203,791	9,363,381	6,012,692
Rhode Island	62.5%	63.0%	57.2%	821,425	7.7%	3,996	0	0	3,996	13,827	754,438	471,766	475,428
South Carolina	58.6%	58.8%	55.9%	3,435,500	3.2%	23,616	38,353	3,072	45,865	72,241	3,279,329	1,920,969	1,927,153
South Dakota	63.8%	64.7%	62.8%	608,072	0.6%	3,359	0	2,444	5,803	20,144	598,635	381,975	387,449
Tennessee	57.3%	57.8%	54.7%	4,753,314	3.4%	25,745	52,558	8,630	60,654	127,930	4,533,233	2,599,749	2,618,238
Texas	54.7%		45.6%	17,707,933	13.8%	172,116	431,967	101,916	490,016	549,216	14,780,857	8,077,795
Utah	53.3%	54.3%	50.0%	1,906,216	5.9%	6,430	0	0	6,430	31,783	1,787,350	952,370	971,185
Vermont	66.7%	67.1%	65.9%	493,153	1.2%	0	0	0	0	10,546	487,430	325,046	326,822
Virginia	67.7%	68.2%	62.4%	5,965,880	6.7%	36,688	48,144	4,499	65,259	124,689	5,500,265	3,723,260	3,753,059
Washington	67.0%	67.7%	60.3%	5,033,380	8.2%	17,561	108,076	11,568	83,167	138,296	4,535,438	3,036,878	3,071,587
West Virginia	50.6%	51.9%	49.9%	1,429,529	0.6%	5,733	7,668	1,416	10,983	33,788	1,409,823	713,362	731,691
Wisconsin	72.5%	72.9%	69.0%	4,324,620	3.3%	23,431	55,806	15,907	67,241	78,721	4,113,565	2,983,417	2,997,086
Wyoming	65.4%	65.8%	62.7%	406,460	2.9%	2,114	5,225	609	5,336	13,832	389,304	254,658	256,035