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'''Turnout''', or voter turnout, refers to the percentage of eligible voters who actually vote in an [[election]]. For [[president]]ial elections, voter turnout has been about 50% 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%.
'''Turnout''', or voter turnout, refers to the percentage of eligible voters who actually vote in an [[election]].
[[Image:Turnout-2ps.jpg|thumb|300px|High rates of turnout in the [[Second Party System]] demonstrated strong voter interest; all adult male citizens could vote; compare this to 60% turnout in 21st century in the [[Fifth Party System]]]]
'''Sources:''' <references/>
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%.
[[Category:Dictionary]]
==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]
==See also==
* [[American election campaigns, 19th century]]
* [[First Party System]]
* [[Second Party System]]
* [[Third Party System]]
* [[Fourth Party System]]
* [[Fifth Party System]]
* [[Gilded Age]]
* [[Jim Crow]]
====References====
<references/>
[[Category:Political Terms]]
[[Category:Election Terms]]
[[Category: United States History]]
[[Category: United States Political Parties]]