Voter Turnout
Lesson Components
Voter Turnout in Midterm and General ElectionsGuiding Questions
- What demographic characteristics best predict voter turnout?
- Who participates most often in the democratic process through voting?
Objectives
- Students can identify and explain patterns and trends in voter turnout.
Student Resources:
Facilitation Notes
- For clarity with the charts, students may need to be refreshed on the difference between midterm and general elections.
- Midterm elections are those held halfway through a president’s term, and the focus is on Congress. All positions in the House and a third of the Senate positions are up for election. General elections include the president, all House seats, and a third of the Senate.
- Due to the nature of the graphs, printing in color would be necessary, or sharing the graphs with students to use on their own devices.
Engage
- Review the meaning of demographics and voter turnout with students.
- Demographics: characteristics of a population that include qualities such as age, race and ethnicity, sex, income, marital status, economic class and education level
- Voter turnout rate: the percentage of eligible persons voting in elections
- Ask students, “Which demographic group do you think consistently has the highest voter turnout?” Encourage students to be as specific as they can in considering those demographic characteristics you mentioned.
- Transition: Tell students, “Today we will look at a variety of charts to analyze voter turnout. We will consider historical reasons for voter turnout levels, effects of voter turnout, and how voter turnout can be used to make predictions.”
Explore
- Distribute the Voter Turnout in Midterm and General Elections Handour to students, either digitally or printed. If possible, display the graphs so they can be introduced to students as a class to begin.
- Have students complete the Voter Turnout Handout.
- Discuss questions and answers in the mode that best suits your classroom environment.
Assess & Reflect
- Ask students the following reflection questions:
- In what ways were your predicted answers to the question “Which demographic group consistently has the highest voter turnout rate?” accurate or inaccurate?
- In what ways could a candidate running for political office use the information in these charts?
- What predictions can be made for the upcoming elections based on the information contained in these graphs?
- Overall, how well do voters turn out for elections in the United States? Are these numbers higher or lower than you expected?
- Student Handouts can be reviewed, assessed, or scored as desired.
Extend
- Students can use this map to analyze demographic data from their area to see how it compares to the graphs. Students could also analyze other geographic locations.
- Students could investigate changes to voting methods over time and analyze how those methods have impacted voter turnout.
- Students can research demographic data before 1984 (the date on the demographic graphs) to compare patterns and trends in significant midterm or general elections such as 1980, 1976, 1974, 1968, 1964, 1960, or 1958.
Student Handouts
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