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2012 Voter Registration

The percentage of eligible citizens who are registered to vote in Tuesday’s general election likely slipped moderately from the levels reached in 2008 and 2004. However when all states have reported their registration, it is likely to be higher than it was in the 2000 election.

Based on final published registration reports from 34 states, the likely 2012 registration level will be 70 percent of eligible citizens or 153,271,000 out of 218,959,000 eligible potential voters. This compares with a 73.5 percent registration rate in 2008, a 71 percent registration rate in 2004 and a 68 percent registration rate in 2000.

Based on the 21 states reporting their partisan registration results (out of 28 and the District of Columbia that register by party), Democratic registration fell to roughly 1996 and 2000 levels, Republican registration held constant with several recent years and for the 13th consecutive presidential election those registering for something other than the two major parties (as independents, unaffiliated or for minor parties) increased their percentage of the registrant pool.

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