And because they differ demographically, socially, and politically from voters, they could significantly shift policy: Elected officials tend to focus on voters, especially their voters, more than on their constituents generally.
Nonvoters in swing states said they do want a say in major decisions, and a majority of them said they plan to vote in November. Correction : An earlier version of this story misstated when Patricia Robinson registered to vote. At the time, the minimum eligible voting age was still Skip to content Share Icon. Facebook Logo. Link Icon.
Patricia Robinson registered to vote soon after she turned The study paints a complex picture of a massive potential voting bloc: People of color make up a greater share of nonvoters than active voters, and nonvoters tend to be less educated, poorer, and younger.
Nonvoters tend to passively encounter news, rather than actively seek it out. What would happen if nonvoters showed up? Published Feb. Jonathan Lai Email. After being released from prison, Brown is cut off from voting due to a vaguely worded law that state election officials interpret very strictly. Image: Stephen B. Hundreds of thousands of nonvoters would vote if they could. Financial barriers, lack of access to transportation, and limited information can make it difficult for older people, people of color, and low-income people to obtain an ID.
Former and current prisoners convicted of felonies are another group of people who are often disenfranchised during elections, especially if they are African American. Maine and Vermont are the only states that do not prohibit those convicted of felonies from voting, even when they are in prison.
Research shows that nonvoters are more likely to be low-income, young, Hispanic, or Asian American. Various laws and structural systems, from limited early voting windows to ID restrictions, disproportionately impact people of color and contribute to voter suppression across the country.
College graduates, who tend to make more money, are also more likely to seek out information on politics and vote. Regardless of other factors, women report turning out to vote at slightly higher rates than men. A line of mostly students wait to vote at a Texas primary election polling site on the University of Texas campus in Austin, Texas on March 6, Sunday is the most common voting day around the world, except in the US.
While early voting and mail-in voting gives citizens more flexibility, not all states offer these options. Knight Foundation published this piece as part of the Million project. The Foundation does not endorse any political party or candidate. It supports all efforts to educate non-voting Americans about the issues facing their communities and the nation and exercise the right to vote for candidates and initiatives of their choice.
Skip to content Knight Foundation releases unprecedented survey of 12, non-voters, examining their political attitudes and behavior, including how they encounter information about politics and elections.
Non-voters have less faith in the electoral system than voters. Splitting the vote in If non-voters all turned out in , non-voter candidate preferences show they would add nearly equal share to Democratic and Republican candidates 33 percent versus 30 percent, respectively , while 18 percent said they would vote for a third party.
Evenly divided on Trump. They are more evenly divided on current political issues and President Trump than previously thought. Fifty-one percent have a negative opinion of Trump, versus 40 percent positive. While non-voters skew center-left on some key issues like health care, they are slightly more conservative than active voters on immigration and abortion.
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