According to USA Facts, voter turnout is the highest for presidential elections, with 63.8% of voters turning out for these elections. Midterm elections, however, receive a turn out of 47.8%.
They examined how voting differs among racial and ethnic groups, age, sex and states.
Meanwhile, The Down-Ballot Report from AFA Action and iVoterGuide, compiled by pollster Dr. George Barna, finds that 85% of likely voters actually make it to the polls, but only 55% say they vote down ballot.
Barna said this research “helps us to better understand why millions of well-intentioned, politically-engaged Americans have turned their backs on crucial government offices — and what can be done about it.”
Heather Hefner, director of communication for AFA Action, says they just aren't familiar with the candidates that live at the bottom of a ballot.
“What we found is that the voters are going quiet down ballot. It's not an apathy problem. It's not that they don't care. It's an information problem,” Hefner states.
However, those are the candidates, she says, that affect our everyday lives, school board members, city council members, mayors, sheriffs and the like.
“Those are the places where it affects our family, it affects our children, it affects our communities,” Hefner says.
The report finds that by far the most common reason people skip down-ballot races is that they don't have enough information about the candidates.
“They said that that if they had a trusted voter guide, a trusted resource, they would be more likely to vote down ballot,” Hefner states.
She says that just happens to be the reason iVoterGuide exists.
“We make it very simple. They type in their address, and they're given a personalized resource on the candidates and the issues that they're going to be voting on,” Hefner says.
To start, go to ivoterguide.com. AFA Action and iVoterGuide are part of the American Family Association.
