In addition to the impact that demographics and political efficacy can have on voter choice and turnout, structural barriers and type of election also affect voter turnout in the U.S., as represented by: State voter registration laws Why people vote has been a central question ever since the development of political science as a field. 8. In battleground states, Hispanics grew more than other racial or ethnic groups as a share of eligible voters … Demographic factors are personal characteristics are used to collect and evaluate data on people in a given population. For example, the demographic makeup of a district affects voter turnout. We will not go into those details here, but any summary explanation of voter turnout should mention these factors. Over the years, political scientists have studied the voting habits and behaviors of racial and ethnic minorities. Many different factors influence voter turnout levels. Start studying Factors that Influence Voter Turnout and Choice. Voter Demographics The Changing Racial and Ethnic Composition of the U.S. Electorate. Through this leaders can increase their influence over the citizens and the voter … Among the most widely sited surveys is the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey, November Voting and Registration Supplement (or CPS for short). Explain the roles that individual choice and state law in voter turnout in elections. Voter demographics. The overall voter turnout rates provided on this site cannot reveal who among the electorate voted. Theories inquiring determinants vote choice revealed social cleavages, attitudinal orientations and economic interests of voters as the major predictors of voting behavior. For a demographic profile of the electorate, we must turn to surveys. 1. For the voter turnout model, we added the voting policy variables that indicate states' early voting and liberalized absentee voting policy. Elections are often seen as mainly concerning what voters want in a politician. There are endless studies citing the effects of voter demographics on turnout. In all 50 states, Hispanic voters have come to make up increasingly larger shares of the electorate. Campaign activities: Participation in election campaign or other campaigns is another mode of political participation. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. (All the personal characteristics shown to be strong predictors of registration are also expected to influence voting, so these were included in both models.) However, spatial attributes often have a strong influence in how people vote as evidenced by the studies discussed in this article. Voter background means the voter's social identity, such as economic class, ethnicity, gender, race and religious preference. The major criterion remains voting in elections which is consistently somewhat higher than the other measures. In short, older voters tend to vote more than younger voters. One area of focus is voter turnout. Typical factors include age, gender, marital status, race, education, income and occupation. A voter's background has the largest influence on that voter's decision. Electoral Competitiveness: One of the most important factors is the competitiveness of the presidential election in each state. Governments use analysis of the demographics makeup in a population to plan strategies and ongoing public service programs.