NFIB

Record Turnout for 2004 Election
11/02/2004

Whether one was cheering for red or blue on the voting results map, all Americans can cheer for one thing: a record participation in the 2004 election. As many as 121 million voters were anticipated by the end of the day, according to the Committee for the Study of the American Electorate.

A turnout of up to 60 percent of the electorate was predicted, a level of participation not seen since the 1960s. In the 2000 election, 51.2 percent of voters cast ballots and only 48 percent voted in 1996.

In battleground states like Florida and Ohio, voter registration increased significantly from 2000 and voters apparently showed up in record numbers. Many polling places stayed open for hours after the scheduled closing times due to long lines.

One prediction that apparently did not pan out, however, was the pre-election belief that a record amount of 18- to 29-year-olds would show up at the polls. According to a report on NBC, while more voters in the age group may have registered and voted, the percentage of young voters showing up at the polls in 2004 was exactly the same as it was in 2000, 17 percent.