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 engaged and informed, 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 eligible population which both registers and turns out to vote. In 2004, Virginia ranked 31st in the nation, with 59.8 percent of CVAP casting ballots. The average state voter turnout among CVAP in 2004 was 61.4 percent and the total rate in the nation was 60.7. 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 had a lower turnout than Maryland (60.8 percent). Within Virginia, Northern Region had the highest number of ballots counted as a percent of the CVAP with 68.3 percent, while Southwest Region had the lowest rate with 52.1 percent.

Because states have different methods of registering voters and removing inactive voters, registration rates across states are not readily comparable. Within Virginia, however, a high variation in registration exists. On average, 77.6 percent of Virginia's CVAP had active registration for the 2004 elections. Northern Region had the highest rate of registration with 85.4 percent, and Valley had the lowest number of registered voters with 69.3 percent of the population registered.

What Influences Voter Turnout?

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

They are more likely to register and vote the higher the:

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

Registration requirements also may impact whether people vote, including:

• Registration before Election Day registration;
• Closing dates for registration;
• The length of time at a new residence; and
• 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; and
• 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.