AT A GLANCE
Comprehensive longitudinal data on U.S. voter turnout from 1980–2022, tracking Voting-Eligible Population (VEP) turnout rates across all states over 11 presidential and midterm election cycles.
Key Highlights:
- Coverage: All 50 U.S. states, 1980–2022
- Cycles: 11 presidential and midterm elections
- Metric: Voting-Eligible Population (VEP) turnout rates
- Structure: State-level, per-election-cycle observations
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
This dataset enables analysis of four decades of electoral participation trends, state-by-state differences in voter engagement, and the effects of policy changes on turnout. Researchers can investigate how voting laws, registration policies, partisan mobilization, and sociodemographic factors correlate with electoral participation over time.
Research Applications:
- Historical trends in U.S. electoral participation
- State-level disparities in voter engagement
- Effects of voting laws and registration policies on turnout
- Sociodemographic correlates of electoral participation
Subject Terms: voter turnout, elections, VEP, civic participation, electoral data, voting behavior, United States
SCOPE & METHODOLOGY
- Geographic Coverage: United States
- Smallest Geographic Unit: State
- Time Period: 1980 – 2022
- Universe: Eligible voters in the United States
- Unit of Observation: State-level aggregate (per election cycle)
- Data Type: Administrative records — electoral data
Data Collection: Voting-Eligible Population (VEP) turnout rates compiled across all U.S. states over 11 presidential and midterm election cycles spanning 1980–2022. Hosted on the BSOS Data Repository platform.
CITATION
University of Maryland, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences [distributor]. US Voter Turnout (1980–2022). BSOS Social Science Data Repository, 2026. https://bsos-data.umd.edu/dataset/voter-turnout-dataset
FILES & DOCUMENTATION
Available:
- Voter Turnout 1980–2022 (DataStore)
Planned Additions:
- Data Dictionary — VEP calculation methodology, variable definitions, state identifier codes
- Technical Documentation — Data sources, turnout estimation, VAP comparison metrics