The Myth of the Vanishing Voter

[A18]

http://elections.gmu.edu/APSR%20McDonald%20and_Popkin_2001.pdf

National Turnout Rates (Voting Eligible Population)

1948: 52.2%
1952: 62.3%
1956: 60.2%
1960: 63.8%
1964: 62.8%
---  Voting Rights Act  ---
1968: 61.5%
---  26th Amendment Adopted  ---
1972: 56.2%
1976: 54.8%
1980: 54.7%
1984: 57.2%
1988: 54.2%
1992: 60.6%
1996: 52.6%
2000: 55.6%
2004: 60.9%

[J-Mann]

While our turnout isn't the most admirable in the world, according to this it hasn't fallen below 50% in a presidential election year since 1948.  It's interesting to note that non-eligible population is increasing, throwing off the VAP numbers even more. 

Also surprising to me was the low VAP and/or VEP numbers of the southern population.  Though they're approaching the national VEP numbers since the rise spurred in the 1960s, they're still a few percentage points lower.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Yeah, well the 2004 election was obviously more important than elections of half a century that had higher turnout, like the 1952 election.