Voter turnout is disproportionate by age in Travis County

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Indicator: Proportionality of voter turnout in Travis County

Significance of Indicator: The Nonprofit Voter Engagement Network explains that who votes and who does not vote impacts who elected officials pay attention to, the course of public policy and the quality of American democracy. It also impacts civic participation of all kinds. People who don't vote are less likely to self-identify as stakeholders in their communities. They are less likely to volunteer, contact their elected officials or participate in public life. Frequent voters, on the other hand, are more likely to engage in community affairs, serve on boards and commissions and even enter public service themselves.

what the data tell us

There is a strong correlation between age and voter turnout. The youngest voting population, persons aged 18 to 24, is the least likely to vote while the eldest voting population, ages 65 and up, is most likely to vote.

Travis County Demographics Compared to Demographics of Voters in the 2009 General Election

Definition: The population 18 and older divided by the population of each age group and the number who voted in each age group divided by the total number who voted

Data Source: American Community Survey (ACS), Opinion Analysts

Data Considerations: The ACS estimates population data through relatively small sample sizes. Disproportionality is often lower in elections with higher voter turnout.

The Story Behind the indicator

Young people represent a very small percentage of voters, though their participation was relatively strong in the 2008 presidential election. Experts speculate that the reasons for low voter turnout for this population range from distrust of the government to mobile lifestyles where youth do not feel connected to the communities that they live in. Other populations, such as African Americans and Hispanics, also tend to have low voter turnout. Of particular concern is the population of minority men who were formerly incarcerated. Many of these men incorrectly believe that they cannot vote when, in fact, if a former offender does not owe time to the State or the County then they are able to vote. To learn more about the story behind voter turnout in our community, click here.

Some local efforts to improve this indicator

The Travis County Elections Division works to increase voter turnout by offering programs such as early voting which provides voters with flexibility in voting times and locations.
The Annette Straus Institute for Civic Engagement at the University of Texas works with young adults through programs such as "University of Texas Votes," which is non-partisan and works to increase voting among college-age youth.
The East Austin Voter Mobilization Initiative targets its efforts toward East Austin precincts with low voter turnout and large African American and Hispanic populations.

A Closer look at the story behind the indicators

African Americans, Asians, and Hispanics were underrepresented at the polls in Travis County's 2009 general elections. Meanwhile people who were White or of other origins were overrepresented among voters.

Travis County Racial/Ethnic Demographics Compared to the Racial/Ethnic Demographics of Voters in the 2009 General Election

Definition: The population 18 and older divided by the 18 and older population of each racial/ethnic group and the number who voted in each racial/ethnic group divided by the total number who voted

Data Source: American Community Survey (ACS), Opinion Analysts

Data Considerations: The ACS estimates population data through relatively small sample sizes. Disproportionality is often lower in elections with higher voter turnout. Race and ethnicity is not reported by voters. Race and ethnicity is estimated by analyzing surnames and likely results in a significant margin of error.