Who turns out for midterms?

USA Facts - Every four years, a pattern repeats: fewer Americans vote in the midterm elections than did in the presidential race before it. It’s a pattern that’s persisted for decades. However, turnout during the November 2022 midterm was higher than it had been for much of the past four decades. Only 2018’s was higher.

Turnout varies by age. People between the ages of 18 and 24 have the largest drop in turnout in the midterms. In the 2020 presidential election, 51.4% of young adults reported voting, compared with 27.6% in 2022. Their rate was back to a reported 47.7% by 2024. Meanwhile, people 65 and older reported voting at rates of 74.5% in 2020 and 66.8% in 2022. Their reported rate during the 2024 presidential election was slightly higher than four years earlier: 74.7%.