AT A GLANCE
A national probability-based survey of 8,327 Americans conducted by Ipsos for FiveThirtyEight in September 2020. Designed to understand the characteristics, attitudes, and motivations of people who do not vote, with voter-file matching by Aristotle.
Key Highlights:
- Sample: 8,327 respondents via Ipsos KnowledgePanel
- Design: Probability-based, weighted to Census CPS March 2019 benchmarks
- Oversamples: Young, Black, and Hispanic respondents
- Voter Matching: Linked to Aristotle voter file (name, zip, address)
- Period: September 15–25, 2020
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
This dataset investigates why eligible Americans choose not to vote. Respondents were drawn from KnowledgePanel, a representative online panel, and matched to official voter files to verify voting history. The data was weighted to align with U.S. Census benchmarks.
Research Applications:
- Voter demographics and political engagement analysis
- Barriers to electoral participation
- Sociopolitical profiling of non-voters vs. voters
- Racial and generational differences in civic engagement
Subject Terms: voter turnout, non-voters, political participation, survey data, elections, civic engagement, United States
SCOPE & METHODOLOGY
- Geographic Coverage: United States
- Smallest Geographic Unit: Individual respondent
- Time Period: September 15–25, 2020
- Universe: American citizens aged 18 and older
- Unit of Observation: Individual survey respondent
- Sample: 8,327 respondents; probability-based sampling weighted to Census benchmarks
- Data Type: Survey data
Data Collection: Probability-based online panel survey administered through Ipsos KnowledgePanel. Weighted to CPS March 2019 Supplement benchmarks. Oversampled young, Black, and Hispanic respondents. Voter file matching by Aristotle using name, zip code, and address.
CITATION
University of Maryland, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences [distributor]. American Non-Voters. Originally collected by Ipsos for FiveThirtyEight. BSOS Social Science Data Repository, 2026. https://bsos-data.umd.edu/dataset/american-non-voters
FILES & DOCUMENTATION
Available:
- readme_nonvoters (DOCX)
- codebook_nonvoters (PDF)
- data_nonvoters (XLSX)
Planned Additions:
- Blank Questionnaire — Full survey instrument with all response options