Turnout in U.S. has soared in recent elections but by some measures still trails that of many other countries
When comparing turnout among the voting-age population in recent national elections in 50 countries, the U.S. ranks 31st.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
When comparing turnout among the voting-age population in recent national elections in 50 countries, the U.S. ranks 31st.
We identified 261 U.S. jurisdictions that have adopted some voting method other than the winner-take-all system most American voters know.
As of the end of 2017, 57% of 167 countries with populations of at least 500,000 were democracies of some kind, and only 13% were autocracies.
The share of Euroskeptic members of the European Parliament jumped to 29% in 2014. That’s up from 17% in 1979.
Many of the millions of Americans voting in Tuesday’s midterm elections will have to do so while working around the demands of their jobs – hitting their polling places before work, taking an extra-long lunch break or going afterward and hoping to make it before the polls close. As they stand in line, many of them may wonder why it is that the United States votes on a Tuesday, of all days.
Though many Americans say they’re concerned about possible election fraud, the U.S. electoral system generally ranks high in cross-national comparisons.
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