Not sure whether this is the right sub for this, but with all the complaining about how few young people vote. I want to know, has this always been the case? How does voter turnout among millenials today compare with voter turnout with boomers at the same age?
This Census Board report looks at U.S. voter turnout by age starting in the mid-60s. Turnout among voters 18-24 has historically been lower than older population groups, but there has also been a mostly-steady decline since then (though number have risen again since 2000). 1964 voter turnout 18-24 was 50.9% while 2012 turnout was 38%.
As a follow up, what would the cause of this be? Today it's often seen as apathy to politicians not listening to younger members of society, but has this always been the case?
Hi friends,
AskHistorians exists to connect people who have questions with those who are able to give well-sourced, high-quality answers to those questions. We emphatically do not exist to provide a platform for soapboxing or moralizing, and also specifically don't allow discussion of modern politics or historical events past 1997 (our "20 Year Rule") -- this means no discussion of elections after Bill Clinton's win over Dole.
Thanks for understanding!