Every four years, voters head to the polls to select our nation’s
president. The process begins with
a series of primaries and caucuses in the winter and spring and culminates
with the general election in November. With the 2004 presidential election
fast approaching on Nov. 2, the Census Bureau has culled from previously
released statistical reports the following election-related facts:
The Electoral College
8
The number of states that gained electoral votes, based on Census 2000
results, since the last presidential election in 2000. Four of these
states — Arizona, Florida, Georgia and Texas — each gained
two votes. The other four — California, Colorado, Nevada and North
Carolina — gained one apiece. <http://www.census.gov/prod/2001pubs/c2kbr01-7.pdf>
10
Number of states with fewer electoral votes in 2004 than in 2000. Two
states — New York and Pennsylvania — each lost two votes.
The other eight — Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Mississippi,
Ohio, Oklahoma and Wisconsin — each lost one vote. <http://www.census.gov/prod/2001pubs/c2kbr01-7.pdf>
Voting-Age Population
217.8 million
Number of voting-age U.S. residents. Of this number, 153.9 million were
single-race non-Hispanic white, 26.4 million were black, 26.3 million
Hispanic, 10.0 million Asian, 3.0 million American Indian or Alaska
native and 647,000 native Hawaiian or other Pacific islander. (A portion
of all these residents are ineligible to vote because they are noncitizens.)
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/race/001839.html>
California had the highest number of residents 18 and older (26.1 million)
in 2003, followed by Texas (15.9 million), New York (14.7 million), Florida (13.1 million)
and Pennsylvania
(9.5 million). <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/001703.html>
California added the highest number of voting-age persons since 2000
(1.4 million), followed
by Texas (913,000), Florida (759,000), and Georgia and New York (371,000
each). Nationally, 8.6 million adult residents were added.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/001703.html>
Presidential Election: 2000
The following data are from the November 2000 Current Population Survey
(CPS). The CPS routinely overestimates participation: its estimate of
overall turnout (111 million) exceeds the “official” turnout
(105.6 million votes cast), as reported by the Clerk of the House.
State Turnout Trends
At or about 70%
The 2000 presidential election voting rates in the District of Columbia,
North Dakota, Wisconsin, Maine and Minnesota, highest in the nation.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/voting/000505.html>
National Turnout Trends
60%
Percentage of eligible voters who cast their ballots in the November
2000 presidential election, slightly higher than the 58 percent who
voted in 1996.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/voting/000505.html>
70%
Percentage of citizens who were registered to vote in 2000, compared
with the 71 percent registered in 1996. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/voting/000505.html>
111 million
The number of people who voted in the 2000 presidential election, short
of the record high of
114 million set in 1992. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/voting/000505.html>
86%
Among citizens registered to vote in the 2000 presidential election,
the percentage who reported they cast ballots. That was up from 82 percent
in 1996.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/voting/000505.html>
61%
Percentage of eligible women voters who voted in the 2000 presidential
election. That is higher than the 58 percent of men who voted.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/voting/000505.html>
72%
The percentage of citizens ages 65 to 74 who voted in the 2000 presidential
election. This age group traditionally has the highest voting participation
of any age group.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/voting/000505.html>
21%
Among people who said they were registered to vote in 2000 but did not
actually vote, the percentage who gave as a reason that they were too
busy or had conflicting work or school schedules. This was the most
common reason given for not voting.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/voting/000505.html>
