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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 |
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