FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Permissions and Citations

• Do I have permission to use the voter turnout data and graphics appearing on this website?

• How should I cite this website?

Definitions and Background

• What are the turnout rate numerators: "Vote for Highest Office" and "Total Ballots Counted"?

• What are the turnout rate denominators: voting-age population (VAP) and voting-eligible population (VEP)?

• Where can I learn more about these data?

• Why didn't someone think of this before?

Components of the Voting-Eligible Population

• Overview of how the voting-eligible population (VEP) constructed

• How is the voting-age population (VAP) constructed?

• How is the non-citizen population estimated?

• How is the ineligible felon population estimated?

• How is the overseas eligible population estimated?

• What is left out of the voting-eligible population?

Comparisons to Other Turnout Rates

• Why should I care if turnout rates are calculated as percentage of the VAP or VEP?

• Why not calculate turnout rates as a percentage of voter registration?

• Why isn't the VEP turnout rate the same as the Census Bureau's CPS turnout rate?

More Turnout Rates

• I want pre-1980 state level VEP turnout rates

• I want congressional, state legislative district, or county VEP turnout rates

• Why doesn't the government compute these statistics?