Center for Public Integrity: What voter turnout shows, and hides, about elections

The voter turnout in 2020 was a stunning 67%, according to one source.

Another had it at 94%.

A third fixed 2020 voter turnout at 63%.

All three are correct — because they do the math differently. They’re comparing actual voters with the number of eligible voters, registered voters and Americans of voting age, respectively.

The turnout for 2022 is still coming into focus as the last ballots continue to be tallied, but it looks to be unusually high for a midterm election. Those turnout figures are typically discussed as evidence of voter interest (or apathy) in an election. But the way that voter turnout is calculated reveals who counts, and who is left out, in American elections.

Generally, turnout considers “the number of registered voters who actually get to the polls or send in their mail-in ballots,” said Khalif Ali of Common Cause Pennsylvania. …

The delays happen, in part, because Pennsylvania is one of nine states that forbids election workers from processing ballots before Election Day. The state’s Democratic governor and Republican-controlled legislature haven’t been able to agree on a bill to change that. Most other U.S. states, including Florida, New Jersey and Wyoming, do allow ballots to be processed pre-election.

“Since we don’t have that, then what is required of us is patience,” said Common Cause’s Ali. “I’m more concerned about an accurate count than I am a quick count.”