What is the percentage of Americans who voted in the 2012 Presidential elections?

From the Center for the Study of the American Electorate, put 2012 voter turnout at 57.5% of all eligible voters, compared to 62.3% who voted in 2008 and 60.4% who cast ballots in 2004. In 2000, the turnout rate was 54.2%.

To read up on more of the same type of articles, @mazingerz88,
look up “voter turn out 2012” in a search engine.

Gee thanks! : )

“This was a major plunge in turnout nationally,” said Gans, who estimated about 126 million Americans voted, for an overall turnout rate of about 57.5 percent.

With 99 percent of precincts reporting, The Associated Press’ figures showed about 119.5 million people had voted in the White House race, but that number will increase as more votes are counted. In 2008, 131 million people cast ballots for president, according to the Federal Election Commission.”

The Washington Post

I actually did the math myself and came close to what @SpatzieLover said. I think I rounded it to 59%, but then I’m not particularly good with numbers.

Just because I was interested I ran the numbers for our county:

I could not find the figures for eligible voters but based on some population calculations and age breakdowns I estimate that about 75% of the county population fit into that category. Based on this is appears that only 35% of the eligible voters bothered to vote in this Texas county.

Based on registered voters only 64% of them turned out.

Broken down further:

In a race between a Republican and a Democrat the split was 68%(R) vs 32%(D).
In a race between a Republican and a Third Party candidate it was 80% (R) vs 20%(I).
If there was a Republican/Democrat/Third Party race it was 65%(R) vs 31%D) vs 4%(I).
Which I thought was interesting that a Libertarian/Green Party/Writein voter was 3x more likely to come from the Reps than the Dems.
These numbers were pretty consistent regardless of the political position being run for.

Voter turn out rates are so pathetic in this country. It blows my mind honestly, we have the right to vote, a right many countries don’t have yet don’t and then bitch about the state of affairs in our country. Roughly 4 out of every 10 eligible voters didn’t vote, that’s horrible.

I think our low voter turnout partly has to do with the country generally being in a good, safe, with opportunity for everyone, place. More or less. The people most motivated to vote would be people who are disgusted and/or terrified. And, of course people who take their civic duty to vote seriously. And, then also people who appreciate we can vote, but many Americans probably take that for granted. Anyone who is confused who to vote for probably doesn’t want the responsibility of having voted.