Changes

For presidential elections, voter turnout has been about 50-55% in the [[United States]] in the past few decades.<ref>http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0781453.html</ref>  For non-presidential federal elections, voter turnout has been between 35% and 40%.  For local school board elections, voter turnout can be less than 20%.

For presidential elections, voter turnout has been about 50-55% in the [[United States]] in the past few decades.<ref>http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0781453.html</ref>  For non-presidential federal elections, voter turnout has been between 35% and 40%.  For local school board elections, voter turnout can be less than 20%.

In the presidential election of 2008, the overall turnout nationwide was 57.9%, which decreased to 52.5% in the presidential election in 2012.<ref name="Daily Younder">http://www.dailyyonder.com/rural-voter-turnout-drops-18-2012/2012/11/29/5514/</ref>  Turnout is somewhat lower today than in prior periods of American history.<ref>http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/data/turnout.php</ref>

In the presidential election of 2008, the overall turnout nationwide was 57.9%, which decreased to 52.5% in the presidential election in 2012.<ref name="Daily Younder">http://www.dailyyonder.com/rural-voter-turnout-drops-18-2012/2012/11/29/5514/</ref>  Turnout is somewhat lower today than in prior periods of American history.<ref>https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/data/turnout.php</ref>

Typically the turnout in a [[primary]] is particularly low.  The record turnout for the State of Alabama in a presidential election is only 42.6% of registered voters (which is only a subset of the total number of eligible voters).  That record was set in 2008.  The prior record for Alabama was only 29% (set in 1992).

Typically the turnout in a [[primary]] is particularly low.  The record turnout for the State of Alabama in a presidential election is only 42.6% of registered voters (which is only a subset of the total number of eligible voters).  That record was set in 2008.  The prior record for Alabama was only 29% (set in 1992).

==Further reading==

==Further reading==

* Alexander Keyssar, ''The Right to Vote: The Contested History of Democracy in the United States'' (2001) [http://www.amazon.com/Right-Vote-Contested-History-Democracy/dp/0465029698/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238563171&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search]

* Alexander Keyssar, ''The Right to Vote: The Contested History of Democracy in the United States'' (2001) [https://www.amazon.com/Right-Vote-Contested-History-Democracy/dp/0465029698/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238563171&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search]

==See also==

==See also==

* [[American election campaigns, 19th century]]

* [[American election campaigns, 19th century]]