10 States With the Most Voter Participation
Here’s a look at voter turnout rates from the 2016 presidential and congressional elections.
Voter Turnout in the U.S.
Nearly half of Americans ages 18 and older voted in the 2018 midterm elections, marking the highest voter turnout in more than a century, according to preliminary data from the United States Elections Project.
In the 2020 presidential election, the demographics of eligible voters will be different than in 2016, but whether these people will head to the polls is another question.
Voter turnout increased in some rural areas in 2016 compared to past election years, and voter participation among black voters dropped by more than 4 percentage points from the previous presidential election, both of which impacted the election results.
In its 2018 Best States rankings, U.S. News used data from the U.S. Census Bureau to determine which states have the most voter participation. Voter participation was measured by averaging a state’s voter turnout in the 2016 presidential election and congressional elections that same year.
Here are the 10 states with the highest average voter turnout:
10. Alaska
Average voter turnout: 54.2 percent
Presidential turnout: 59.4 percent
Congressional turnout: 49 percent
Learn more about Alaska.
Voter Turnout in the U.S.
Nearly half of Americans ages 18 and older voted in the 2018 midterm elections, marking the highest voter turnout in more than a century, according to preliminary data from the United States Elections Project.
In the 2020 presidential election, the demographics of eligible voters will be different than in 2016, but whether these people will head to the polls is another question.
Voter turnout increased in some rural areas in 2016 compared to past election years, and voter participation among black voters dropped by more than 4 percentage points from the previous presidential election, both of which impacted the election results.
In its 2018 Best States rankings, U.S. News used data from the U.S. Census Bureau to determine which states have the most voter participation. Voter participation was measured by averaging a state’s voter turnout in the 2016 presidential election and congressional elections that same year.
Here are the 10 states with the highest average voter turnout:
10. Alaska
Average voter turnout: 54.2 percent
Presidential turnout: 59.4 percent
Congressional turnout: 49 percent
Learn more about Alaska.
9. North Dakota
Average voter turnout: 55.7 percent
Presidential turnout: 62.1 percent
Congressional turnout: 49.2 percent
Learn more about North Dakota.
8. Iowa
Average voter turnout: 56.1 percent
Presidential turnout: 60.7 percent
Congressional turnout: 51.5 percent
Learn more about Iowa.
7. Oregon
Average voter turnout: 56.4 percent
Presidential turnout: 61 percent
Congressional turnout: 51.8 percent
Learn more about Oregon.
6. Montana
Average voter turnout: 57.5 percent
Presidential turnout: 65.2 percent
Congressional turnout: 49.7 percent
Learn more about Montana.
5. Minnesota
Average voter turnout: 57.6 percent
Presidential turnout: 65.3 percent
Congressional turnout: 49.9 percent
Learn more about Minnesota.
4. New Hampshire
Average voter turnout: 57.7 percent
Presidential turnout: 66.9 percent
Congressional turnout: 48.6 percent
Learn more about New Hampshire.
3. Colorado
Average voter turnout: 59.5 percent
Presidential turnout: 63.8 percent
Congressional turnout: 55.2 percent
Learn more about Colorado.
2. Wisconsin
Average voter turnout: 61.3 percent
Presidential turnout: 68.7 percent
Congressional turnout: 53.8 percent
Learn more about Wisconsin.
1. Maine
Average voter turnout: 65.9 percent
Presidential turnout: 71.3 percent
Congressional turnout: 60.5 percent
Learn more about Maine.
States With the Most Voter Participation
- Maine
- Wisconsin
- Colorado
- New Hampshire
- Minnesota
- Montana
- Oregon
- Iowa
- North Dakota
- Alaska
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