Virginia Performs

State Government & Citizen Engagement

Voter Registration & Turnout

Voter registration is a strong indicator of citizens who are committed to their community. Virginia encourages citizens to register and vote in a variety of ways, from school programs to publicity campaigns.

Why is This Important?

Virginia seeks to have citizens who are informed and engaged, and who actively participate in their communities. Voting not only helps to ensure that the results of an election accurately reflect the will of the people, but also serves as a measure of how engaged people are in their communities.

How is Virginia Doing?

There are various ways to look at voter registration and turnout. One method is to measure the number of ballots counted as a percent of the estimated citizen voting age population (CVAP). This measure reflects the percentage of the population who are citizens and who both register and turn out to vote. In 2004, Virginia ranked 31th in the nation, with 59.8 percent of CVAP casting ballots. For the average state, 61.4 percent of citizens voted in 2004 and the total voter turnout in the nation was 60.7 percent. Minnesota had the highest turnout in 2004, with 76.1 percent of CVAP casting ballots. Virginia had a higher voting rate than North Carolina (58.3 percent) or Tennessee (55.6 percent), but a lower turnout than Maryland (60.8 percent). Within Virginia, the Northern region had the highest number of ballots counted as a percent of the CVAP with 68.3 percent, while the Southwest region had the lowest rate at 52.1 percent.

Registration rates are available over time for the voting age population (VAP), which includes all residents of voting age rather than just citizens. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2004 Virginia ranked 41st in the nation for voter registration, with 64.1 percent of the voting age population (VAP) on the rolls. The national rate was 65.9; North Dakota was the highest at 88.5 percent. Virginia had a higher rate than Tennessee (62.2 percent) but had a lower rate than North Carolina (68.7 percent) and Maryland (66.2 percent).

Within Virginia a high variation in registration exists. The Virginia State Board of Elections reported that 79.1 percent of Virginia's VAP had active registrations for the 2006 elections. The Northern region had the highest rate of registration with 80.6 percent, and the Valley had the lowest number of registered voters with 72.2 percent.

What Influences Voter Turnout?

Presidential elections play a significant role in determining voter registration and turnout rates. In years with a presidential election, such as 2000 or 2004, turnout was much higher than years with only congressional or gubernatorial elections, such as in 1998 or 2002. Voting patterns among all demographic groups in every state closely follow this trend.

In 2002, Virginia experienced the lowest turnout rate in the country at 27 percent. Here, the nature of the elections, rather than demographics, played a much larger role in voter turnout: there was no presidential election in 2002; Virginia is only one of very few states with gubernatorial elections that do not coincide with congressional elections; and in the only statewide congressional election during 2002, the opposition party did not field a candidate to challenge the incumbent senator. Citizens are more likely to register and vote the higher the:

• Office being voted on.
• Voter's educational level.
• Voter's income.
• Voter's age.
• If the voter is employed as a civil servant.

Citizens may not actually cast their vote if they are disenchanted with government, indifferent or content with the way things are.

Registration requirements also may impact whether people vote, including:

• Registration before election day.
• Cut-off dates for registration.
• The length of time at a new residence.
• Convenience of registration.

What is the State's Role?

Two state agencies have roles in voter participation. The State Board of Elections:

• Administers election laws.
• Ensures compliance with campaign finance disclosure.
• Manages the voter registration processes in Virginia.
• Maintains a centralized database of statewide voter registration and election-related data.

The Virginia Department of Education includes the importance of civic participation and voting in the Standards of Learning to encourage Virginia's youth to become active participants in the voting process.