The U.S. Census Bureau has released data on voter turnout in the 2022 midterm elections. More than half of the nation’s citizen, voting-age population voted in 2022 — the second-highest turnout for a congressional election in two decades. The 52.2 percent voter turnout rate was just 1.2 percentage points lower than in 2018 (53.4 percent) and significantly higher than in 2014 (41.9 percent) and in 2010 (45.5 percent).
Despite lower turnout in 2022 than in 2018, the share of voting-age citizens who were registered to vote was 69.1 percent — was the highest registration rate in a midterm election since at least 2002. Nearly a third of all U.S. voters cast ballots by mail and almost half voted early.
The highest rates of early and mail-in voting were in Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington, where 95 percent or more of those who voted did so by mail. The lowest rate of early and mail-in voting was in Alabama (3.6 percent). Blacks were among the least likely to vote by mail.
The most common reasons reported for not voting in 2022: “Too busy, conflicting work or school schedule” (26.5 percent); “Not interested, felt my vote wouldn’t make a difference” (17.6 percent); and “Illness or disability,” (12.5 percent).
For Blacks who did not vote, 25.8 percent said they were too busy or had conflicting schedules. Nearly 16 percent said they were not interested, a lower rate than for White non-voters. Nearly 10 percent of Blacks who did not vote said they forgot to do so, 8 percent said they were away from home, and 13.4 percent said they were sick or disabled.
